Ely City have been dealt a huge injury blow.

Influential midfielder Jamie Thurlbourne has been ruled out for the rest of the season after the full extent of a knee injury was confirmed.

An MRI scan showed Thurlbourne suffered a ruptured ACL in a recent Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division victory against Gorleston and he now requires an operation.

“It’s a huge disappointment for Jamie and a massive loss to the club because he has been fantastic on and off the pitch for us,” said City manager Brady Stone.

“Hopefully Jamie can get his operation sorted as quickly as possible and then get started on what will be a long recovery process from a very serious injury.”

Stone accepts it will be difficult to draft in a like-for-like replacement, but he is keen to add a new face to his squad.

He added: “It is very tough to replace someone of Jamie’s quality, but we’ll be looking to bring in a player with a bit of attacking flair in the next couple of weeks.”