Robin Koch says he always knew the time would come when he needed surgery on his knee.
The Leeds United centre-back was set to undergo the procedure on Tuesday morning in London after being forced off through injury just nine minutes into his side's defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
After undergoing surgery, Koch will immediately start his rehab on Wednesday in the hope of being fit for the second half of the season with Leeds.
The 24-year-old is also keen to be fit enough to feature for Germany in the March international break ahead of next summer's European Championships.
Speaking to Bild, Koch said a decision was made at the start of the season to postpone surgery until it became clear he could no longer play on.
He said: "At the beginning of the season we decided together with the doctors that I could play like this for the time being. But it was clear to us that sooner or later we would have to perform the procedure.
"The time came after the game against Chelsea. In view of a very important year for me in 2021, it is now crucial to be able to be back on the field in spring."
Originally, Innsbruck-based knee specialist Dr Christian Falk, who has previously operated on the likes of Leroy Sane and Joshua Kimmich, was set to operate on Koch.
Yet the coronavirus means Koch has had to stay in England for his operation and he feels he is in safe hands with leading knee specialist Dr Andy Williams of the Fortius Clinic.
Koch said: "Andy Williams is an absolute expert in this field. I felt that I was in very good hands with him from the start."
