Alessandro Nesta's season ended Tuesday after an operation to resolve his chronic back problems, AC Milan said Monday.
Nesta, 32, who this year has only played one half of an October friendly in Tirana, was operated by the same surgeon who last year advised him against surgery, Maurizio Fornari.
Professor Fornari performed the operation at Milan's exclusive La Madonnina clinic.
Milan said the operation on a protruding disc took less than an hour and the player had his wife Gabriella at his side.
Fornari prescribed ''absolute'' bed rest for two weeks, to be followed by gradual rehabilitation in the hope of getting back on the field this summer.
The operation is seen as the ex-Lazio defender's last chance to resume a career that has been dogged by injury.
Nesta returned to Italy last month after four months working in the heat of Florida in a bid to clear up his back trouble without resorting to surgery.
At the time, he was optimistic that he would soon be ready for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
He started training with the squad and was set to be included for Sunday's derby against Inter Milan but his disc laid him low again.
The problem became so bad that he spent sleepless nights.
Without the former Italy defender, a depleted Milan defence let in two early goals to Inter's powerful attack and lost 2-1, falling 11 points behind the Serie A leaders.
Pundits say Nesta has been badly missed this season, with a vulnerability to set-piece balls exposed.
On his return from Miami, Nesta said he had not been ''bothered'' by rumours he would not play again but acknowledged that ''there was that risk, and I don't know if there will be again''.
Nesta has played 199 times for Milan since joining them from Lazio in 2002 and is on contract with the club until 2012.
But he has only appeared 61 times during the last three seasons, his back niggles exacerbated by San Siro's notoriously bumpy pitch.
Apart from his back woes, the central defender has been plagued with other injuries.
He missed most of the 2006-2007 season with shoulder trouble but still played a vital part in the European Champions League Final win over Liverpool that year.
Nesta retired from international football after winning the 2006 World Cup, where his contribution was curtailed by an injury in the group match against the Czech Republic.
Roberto Donadoni unsuccessfully tried to coax him out of retirement for Euro 2008.
He played for Italy 78 times.
