London 2012 Hockey: British captain suffers broken jaw

Great Britain women's hockey captain Kate Walsh's Olympic Games future was in the balance after she underwent surgery on a broken jaw on Monday.

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Walsh suffered the injury during the hosts' 4-0 opening win over Japan on Sunday when she was accidentally hit on the left side of her jaw by a stick while making a tackle four minutes from time on Akane Shibata.

She left the field and was immediately taken to hospital, where she remained overnight before her operation on Monday.

In a statement, the British Olympic Association, said Walsh "this (Monday) morning successfully underwent a surgical operation to stabilise the fracture with a plate".

The statement added: "Her recovery from the operation will be monitored and her ongoing participation in the Olympic Games will be reviewed following her return to the Athletes' Village."

But while the statement said that "the injury itself is not expected to prevent Walsh from playing hockey," it also stressed "her continued participation is dependent on her recovery from the surgery and this will be assessed on an ongoing basis over the coming days".

The 32-year-old defender is one of the most experienced players in Britain's squad, having won 288 caps since making her debut in 1999 and been captain for the past nine years.

Her defensive partnership with Crista Cullen has been integral to the team's rise to fourth in the world rankings.