Stoke City right-back de Laet, who turns 21 on Friday, will see his loan deal with the Reds end following Saturday's trip to Stevenage Borough.

De Laet will then undergo a double hernia operation next Tuesday to cure a long-standing problem and is then facing up to a month on the sidelines.

But the Belgian said surgery is long overdue.

"I am having the double hernia operation on Tuesday," said de Laet today. "It has been troubling me for a while and I have been playing with painkillers.

"I just need to have it done now, and there will never be a problem with it again after surgery.

"I have got by without having it done but the time has come now.

"They say I will be out for three or four weeks but I just want to get the operation out of the way and be fit again as quickly as possible.

"I want to return to training and playing games wherever it may be."

However, the Belgian firstly hopes to recover from an ankle injury, which saw him substituted during the first half of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Kidderminster, to make himself available to face Stevenage.

De Laet, who also hobbled off with a groin strain during Wrexham's 2-1 extra-time win at Altrincham in the Setanta Shield earlier in the month, admits there was no way he could continue: "It is really swollen and I could not carry on. I couldn't run," he said.

"I was disappointed to come off with another injury.

"I had the groin problem before that but was feeling 100 per cent at the start of the game, and then I got a kick on the ankle.

"It is too early to say if I will be fit for Saturday as it is still swollen but if it is okay, I would play before having the hernia operation."

Manager Dean Saunders has to decide whether to extend de Laet's loan spell following surgery and the right-back has not ruled out re-joining Wrexham on another temporary basis if the opportunity arose.

"It has been a disappointing time having these injuries and it has been getting to me," said de Laet.

"I just wanted to perform well in the games while I was here.

"There is only one game left before the month is up so hopefully I can play.

"If there is the possibility I can come back to Wrexham then why not, I have enjoyed it here."

De Laet, who joined Stoke City for £100,000 from Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2007, is still hoping to realise his dream of making a first senior appearance for the Premiership outfit.

"I want to play as high as possible in the ranks at Stoke and that is obviously the first team," added de Laet.

"Stoke have had a few wins now so it has been a good month."

Saunders could not praise de Laet enough for continuing to play for Wrexham knowing he is due to have an operation at the start of December.

"Ritchie is struggling with his ankle but he did well to play, especially knowing that he is having an operation," said Saunders.

"He wanted to play and likes it at the club, so all the boys appreciated that he was prepared to put it in.

"Hopefully Ritchie will be play for Saturday."

- A 'Question and Answer session' with Dean Saunders is being held at the Centenary Club on Thursday, from 7.30-8.30pm.

Entry is free but there is a limit of 200 people in the Centenary Club so free admission tickets are being issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

These will be available from the Club Shop during normal opening hours.