Brentford winger Alan Judge requires further surgery on the double leg break he sustained during the Bees’ 3-1 win at Ipswich Town last April.

The Republic of Ireland winger was injured after a tackle by Town midfielder Luke Hyam, who was later sent-off, for a separate incident, later in the encounter.

Neil Greig, Brentford FC Head of Medical, said: “Further surgery in cases like Alan’s is never out of the question and, once sufficient time has been allowed for nature to take its course, there are occasions where we need to provide a helping hand to gain that final few per cent.

“Alan’s rehab and return to monitored training has gone well. However, in order to facilitate him returning to the outstanding levels that we know he’s capable of, we’re agreed that a procedure to stimulate further bone healing is the next and definitive step.

“Of course, further surgery affects the timescales to return Alan to the squad but given the significant nature of the injury and our collective desire for Alan to return to his brilliant best, we’re united in our belief that time invested now will benefit us all in the long term. Alan will of course receive our continued unwavering support over the coming weeks.”