BEIJING: Chinese sprint hurdler Liu Xiang is almost certain to undergo an operation on the injury which forced him out of the Beijing Olympics, his trainer was quoted by local media as saying on Wednesday.

Surgery is the only way of clearing up the problem caused by a build-up of calcium on Liu's right foot, said Sun Haiping, according to the Beijing-based China Daily newspaper.

"There is a 90 percent possibility that he will have the operation," Sun was quoted as saying.

"The three calcifications between his bone and tendon cannot be removed any other way."

The operation could take place in the US, where clinical know-how, technology and rehabilitation techniques are among the best in the world, Sun said.

But he added that the issue was still the subject of discussions between experts in Beijing and in Shanghai, the athlete's town of birth.

Liu, 25, who won the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games, recently travelled to the US where doctors advised him to go ahead with the operation, which could take place before the end of the year.

"If all goes well, Liu could take part in the World Championships in Berlin in August (next year), although it is difficult to be sure of the perfect outcome," Sun was quoted as saying.

"The London Olympics in 2012 are the bottom line," he added.

Liu is attending a gala evening in Monaco on Sunday organised by the sport's governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations. - AFP/de