Blackburn boss Allardyce to have heart op

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is due to have an operation on his heart that will force him to miss the Premier League club’s next three matches.

Allardyce will be absent from Sunday’s game against his former club Bolton, the mid-week fixture at Fulham and Stoke’s visit to Ewood Park next weekend as this weekend he is having an angioplasty, a procedure which will widen one of his coronary arteries.

The 55-year-old had complained of chest pain recently and investigations revealed a narrowing of one of his coronary arteries, which will be corrected by the insertion of a device known as a stent next week.

Assistant manager Neil McDonald will take charge while Allardyce is recovering, but the former Newcastle boss is expected to be back for the League Cup quarter-final against Chelsea on December 2.

“Sam is very disappointed, particularly at missing the Bolton fixture, but his well-being is of prime consideration,” Blackburn chairman John Williams said.

“We all appreciate that Premier League football is a stressful business and prevention is always better than cure.”