Gillingham defender Garry Richards will miss the rest of the season through injury.

Scans revealed that Richards broke a toe in a collision with his own keeper Alan Julian in Saturday’s defeat at Millwall.

Richards has also suffered ankle ligament damage and the club are still awaiting news on the severity of that injury.

His ankle could require surgery leaving him with a summer of rehabilitation.

Gillinghamhave been without last year’s player-of-the-year Simon King since pre-season because of an ankle injury.

Richards, 23, has been a key performer for the Gills in recent weeks and the news will be a big blow for the club’s League 1 survival hopes.

Boss Mark Stimson said: “The toe injury keeps him out for the rest of the season and we’ll know the results of the ligament damage in the next couple of days.

“It’s a terrible blow because he has been playing well and he is what we need. We need men to stand up and be counted.”

Picture: Garry Richards leaves the field at Millwall on Saturday - by Barry Goodwin

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