BEN Gladwin has come through investigative knee surgery and Town boss Mark Cooper has confirmed the midfielder will be out for a maximum of four weeks.

Gladwin, who last featured against Coventry earlier this month, did not travel with the rest of the squad to Tenerife and the player revealed earlier this week on Twitter that he was going under the knife.

Cooper told members of the local press this morning the exact nature of the operation, adding that the surgeon thought the procedure had gone very well and Gladwin’s spell on the sidelines would not be too lengthy.

“I think it’s a maximum of four weeks,” said the Town boss. “The operation has gone very well, the surgeon was very pleased. It was a completely routine arthroscopy.

“He’s got no pain or swelling so he’s in a really good place in terms of his recovery and we don’t think he’ll be very long at all.

“They don’t have to make a big scar, they go in with a camera and a probe and trim the cartilage so there’s not a lot of disturbance to the knee and the skin, which makes it a lot quicker healing process.”

With Gladwin still out and Yaser Kasim and Massimo Luongo still in Australia at the Asian Cup, Jack Stephens and Anton Rodgers will be vying for the remaining starting spot in Town’s midfield.

Cooper did not reveal which he choose, but with Raphael Branco, who twisted his ankle whilst training in Tenerife, now back in training again, Stephens may get the nod.

"Jack has obviously played in midfield recently, so we know that's not an issue," added the County Ground chief.

"We've got Anton Rodgers who we know can do a job in there as well - we'll prepare today and tomorrow and see what we come up with.”