ANTHONY JOSHUA’S return to the ring is to be delayed by elbow surgery that will prevent him from training for up to eight weeks.

Joshua has not fought since being crushed inside five rounds by International Boxing Federation heavyweight king Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September with the hoped-for bout against Tyson Fury scuppered by his British rival’s latest retirement.

There is still the prospect of Joshua and Fury meeting later this year, but first the 35-year-old former unified champion must recover from the operation that will take place this month.

“I’m trying to get my body right. I’ve got have a little surgery on my elbow, a small surgery, sometime in May,” he told sports news network DAZN.

“I’m finalising the details. It will see me out of the gym for six to eight weeks and as soon as I’ve healed I’ll be back.”

Joshua had rebuilt after losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk by reeling off three successive wins, only to be knocked out by Dubois in a one-sided clash that led to calls for the London 2012 gold medal winner to retire.

However, Joshua knows that a showdown with long-term British rival Fury would be highly lucrative for both fighters. Dubois returns to Wembley to face Usyk on July 19.