The Chile international has been carrying the problem in recent weeks and with Juventus having little to play for after sealing the Scudetto and being knocked out of the UEFA Europa League, it is thought the midfielder wants to address the issue before heading out to Brazil with his international team-mates.
"The news is true," Chile's national doctor Giovanni Carcuro is quoted as saying by CalcioNews24. "The way things have unfolded has not been as good as we anticipated.
"On Tuesday his condition will be assessed once more, then we will make a final decision on what course of action to take.
"The problem is complex as it's a strong aggravation to his knee. It is a meniscal injury. Because of this we cannot make a decision lightly. We have to manage the situation well.
"His recovery has not been positive and the fact he played for 70 minutes the other day has not helped.
"The World Cup? I am not sure he will be at 100 per cent for the first match, but he is not at risk of missing the tournament.
"We need to see how the situation develops after the operation."
