BURY Town’s Lee Reed is targeting a return to action at the end of next month ahead of undergoing a second groin operation tomorrow.

Reed had a hernia operation in the summer, after playing through the pain barrier for most of last season.

Now he is having an operation on the opposite side – his right – for Gilmore’s groin, which is a sports hernia.

The 26-year-old admitted his desire to return to action in time for the start of the new Ryman League Premier Division campaign may have led to the injury.

Reed said: “I played from November onwards last season on painkillers. I thought I would get to the end of the season and have the operation done and then be ready for the new season.

“But I possibly rushed back too soon to get fit for the new season – maybe I didn’t build it up enough before I started playing again.

“It has been a frustrating season for me. It has been more painful this time and I could not get through games playing on painkillers.”

The injury was not diagnosed until Reed visited a specialist last Thursday and he will return to London tomorrow to undergo the operation at the Weymouth Hospital just off Harley Street.

He said: “I hoped to get it sorted before Christmas so that I could spend the Christmas period recovering when games were likely to be called off because of the weather.

“I am six weeks behind where I wanted to be, but games are getting called off now, although I am still going to miss more than I wanted to.

“But now there is light at the end of the tunnel. I will be straight-line jogging after a week and then should be back playing soon afterwards.

“I am aiming to be back for the match at home to Thurrock (on February 26) next month.”

The return of Reed, who admitted he is not a good spectator, should be a timely boost for the Ram Meadow club as they bid to reach the play-offs for the third season running.

“I am the worst spectator going. Away at Canvey Island (1-0 win) last week we were brilliant, but the Saturday before at home to East Thurrock (2-1 defeat) I was tearing my hair out!

“Around the end of March and early April we are due to play everyone in the top eight or nine in the space of four or five weeks. If we are still in touching distance of the play-offs there will still be everything to play for,” he added.