The recovery starts now for injured Gills midfielder Mark Byrne.

He underwent surgery on his right knee after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage last week.

Byrne was injured in the match against Sunderland, being helped from the field just before the break.

Early assessment showed an ACL injury and he's been ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Irishman is out of contract in the summer but boss Steve Evans has already said he will be welcome to come back for pre-season.

Evans said: "I would assume that Mark will be looked after by the club, he has been terrific for me."

Byrne was a sub in Gills' first two games of the season but has been an ever-present since then.

The 31-year-old has been with the Gills since signing in the summer of 2016, recently passing the 150-appearance mark.

Following his op, Byrne tweeted: "Operation went well. First step on this road to recovery."