Marseille forward Andre Ayew has vowed to play through the pain of an injured shoulder rather than undergo an operation that would end his season.

The 22-year-old Ghanaian international aggravated the long-standing problem on CAF Africa Cup of Nations duty, but wants to battle on for the next few months and re-evaluate the injury in the summer.

Ayew, whose late header earned Marseille a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie last Wednesday, told the club's website: "I dislocated the shoulder several times. Today, it does not take much.

"If I have an operation now, my season is over. It would not be beneficial either for me or for the club. I must grit my teeth, as I have been doing for some time. If it does not hold up any longer, I will have to have the operation, but if I can hold on until the end of the season I will make a decision then."