Burley suffers new injury blow
The former Celtic star missed most of last season after picking up an injury in November 2001.
The 30-year-old has been troubled with an Achilles tendon injury for some time and now he has suffered a recurrence of the problem.
It was hoped that Burley would be fit enough to return to help Derby in their bid to get out of the First Division, but he is set to undergo another operation on his Achilles.
Rams physio Stuart Walker admitted the news was a blow and that he was likely to be out for months rather than weeks.
"Craig's problems have been ongoing since November so we took him to see a specialist consultant," Walker told the club's official website. "Unfortunately it was his opinion that he needs an operation.
"He is going today (Monday) to have an ultrasound scan with a view to having the op tomorrow.
"We have gone down the road where we have given all treatment and rehabilitation a chance. Two weeks ago we decided we were not getting anywhere and that's when we sought the specialist's opinion.
"Craig is naturally very frustrated because he has been working very hard to get back to playing but unfortunately things have not gone the way he had hoped and at the moment it does seem to him like there's not much light at the end of the tunnel."
