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MELBOURNE, Monday (Reuters) Shane Warne is expected to recover in time for next year's cricket World Cup after surgeons operated on his dislocated shoulder on Monday.

The Australian team's doctor, Trefor James, told a news conference that Warne's injury was not as bad as first feared and he was only expected to be out of action for four to six weeks.

The Australian leg-spinner will miss the final two Ashes tests and the rest of the triangular one-day series with England and Sri Lanka, but is expected to be fit for the World Cup starting in southern Africa on February 9. "We expect him to bowl without any dramas and in the short term, we expect him to be out for four to six weeks," James said.

"I don't think I could be definite (but) we are hopeful he will be available and we will just have to wait until we'll be in a better position to see." Warne underwent surgery on Monday morning within hours of dislocating his bowling shoulder in a freak fielding accident against England the previous night.

The wrist-spinner's injury was complicated by the fact he has a history of shoulder problems but James said the dislocation was unconnected to his previous injuries. Warne's career was almost cut short four years ago when he injured the same shoulder, requiring a complete reconstruction.

He missed the first four Ashes tests but eventually returned to play the final match in January 1999 and later that year played a starring role in helping Australia win the World Cup for the second time.

Already the second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket history with 491 victims, the 33-year-old Warne has been playing as well as ever this year after undergoing a strict training programme to make himself fitter and trimmer but the wear and tear on his shoulder remains a great concern.

Everything was going according to plan for Warne until Sunday night. Australia had already clinched the Ashes against a hopelessly outclassed England and were cruising to another easy one-day win when Warne dived to stop a single off his own bowling and landed heavily on his right elbow. Writhing in pain, it was immediately obvious Warne had seriously injured himself and he was carried from the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a stretcher before the shoulder joint was put back into place in the dressing room. "He knew straight away,"

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