Dons defender Sean O'Hanlon should have been playing golf in Portugal with some of his team-mates this week.

Instead, Paul Ince's Mr Indestructible has been recovering from an unexpected double-operation at the end of a Double-winning season.

But before Dons fans get too concerned about their central defender's well-being, they should know it's nothing a scoop of Neapolitan won't solve!

Having bravely played the last six games of the season nursing a broken nose, the summer break has given O'Hanlon, 25, the chance to straighten out his features ahead of the new season, and cure another niggling problem.

He told mkdons.com: "I'm not enjoying the break at the moment, I've just had my tonsils out and my nose reset so the last 10 days I've just been sat on the settee eating ice cream!

"They reset my just before the Bradford game, that's why I didn't start, and I'd booked to have my tonsils out as soon as the season finished.

"It was the same surgeon who'd worked on my nose and, when he looked at it, he thought he could do a bit better so he did my nose again and take my tonsils out at the same time.

"He put a splint up there to keep my nose straight and they've only taken it out this week so hopefully it's a bit straighter than last time!

"With the tonsils, I've been meaning to have them out for ages but I've just been waiting for the right time. I should have had them done last summer but the play-offs stretched the season out."

Just as it is for the rest of his team-mates, the summer period is a welcome break after a long season for O'Hanlon, who played 45 games as the Dons stormed to the League 2 title and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

And for the next couple of weeks at least, the former Everton trainee can enjoy some of the benefits of not playing football every day.

He said: "It's just nice to relax and do your own thing for a while, different things you can't do while you're playing football.

"Just going out for meals with your girlfriend on a Friday night or, for me, shooting back home on a Thursday or a Friday to see friends and family.

"It's nothing big, but just off the cuff things you can't do when you're training every day."

With Peterborough and Hereford already set to join the Dons in League 1 next term, one more place in the next tier is up for grabs.

And just as Keith Andrews did before the weekend's semi-finals, O'Hanlon is backing Rochdale to end their 34-year stay in the bottom division.

He said: "I think Rochdale look the better team to be joining us in League 1 but Stockport are a bit more physical.

"On the big pitch at Wembley I think Rochdale might just sneak it."