Michael West will miss the start of next season after being ruled out for six months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The Ebbsfleet midfielder returned to the club from Crewe Alexandra in January, hoping to rebuild his career after an unhappy 18 months at Gresty Road.

But West injured his knee in the Fleet’s 1-1 draw at Whitehawk on March 15 and the injury turned out to be worse than first feared.

Ebbsfleet boss Steve Brown said: "Having spoken with Westy, it’s a devastating blow for him. He was low, as you would imagine.

"But things are sent to challenge you. That’s a challenge for him to overcome and he will. We’ll give him the best chance we can, surgery-wise and rehabilitation-wise, to get back to where he was before.

"I’m disappointed as the manager but it’s more of a blow for him. I’ve had a cruciate myself and was out for 18 months.

"The only thing I’ve said to Westy privately is that medicine’s moved on somewhat in the last 25 years. I had mine early in the 90s. It’s six months (in this instance), rather than a year or 18 months, when I had mine."