Paul Ince has confirmed that midfielder Steven Reid will miss the rest of the season because he will undergo surgery to his knee. The news has come as something of a surprise after the player was only understood to be on the sidelines with a minor problem.

Initially, the club doctors attempted to treat Reid’s injury with a course of tablets, but this has failed to solve the problem. Ince said “He trained this week, looked fine, looked sharp. I was playing him on Saturday against Bolton…To lose him is a massive, massive blow - not just for the lad, because he is absolutely devastated - but also for the club.”

Ince revealed that the surgery is likely to keep the Republic of Ireland international out for around six or seven months.