Exclusive: Kell Brook comes through gory operation - and is targeting Amir Khan, Saul Alvarez, Miguel Cotto

Trainer Dominic Ingle says the Sheffield world champion, stopped earlier this month by middleweight Gennady Golovkin, underwent surgery at the city’s Charles Clifford hospital and could resume limited training within the next week or so and be sparring in four months.

“He looked worse after the fight than he did after the operation” said Ingle.

The procedure sounds an gory one: “The surgeon - who was called Mohammed-Ali believe it or not - went up through his gums, his front teeth, moved an eye to one side and then sorted out the fracture” he said.

“Kell is good, though, and doesn’t want any delays before his next fight - he wants to be out again early in the New year, rather than later.”

It won’t be clear whether Brook will campaign at welterweight, light middleweight or middleweight until a contract is drawn up with a suitable opponent.

“After fighting Golovkin, Kell only wants to box seriously big names, like Amir Khan, Saul Alvarez, Miguel Cotto.

“Big fights and titles on the line, that’s what you need from this moment on.”

Meanwhile it is back to more routine business for Ingle on Friday night, when he will be in 23-year-old prospect Kyle Yousaf’s corner on a Ryan Rhodes’ show at Sheffield United’s ground.

“The plan is to get Kyle up to 10 fights (he’s W8 L0) and then look for a big fight. Kyle is very sharp with good reflexes, he just needs more power.”