Image copyright AFP Image caption Domingo has had a number of health issues in recent years

Placido Domingo is to have surgery to have his gallbladder removed, forcing him to miss conducting engagements at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

"It is expected this minimally invasive procedure will allow him to resume his activities after a brief hospital stay," the Met said in a statement.

Domingo had been due to conduct four performances of Tosca in October, but will now return on 2 November.

Other conductors have been drafted in to fill in for the Spanish tenor.

The 74-year-old was admitted to hospital on Tuesday after suffering inflammation of his gallbladder and will have an operation early next week.

He has had a number of health problems in recent years.

In 2010, he underwent an operation to remove a cancerous polyp from his colon, returning to performing just weeks after the surgery.

And in 2013 he was treated for a blood clot in his lung, forcing him to miss several concerts.

Domingo's next singing engagement is in December, when he will perform in Verdi's Macbeth at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia.