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Initially, the knee was just thought to b jarred and after a couple of weeks on the sidelines Williams made his comeback at Carrow Road, in the East
Anglian Derby. However, he didn't even make it past the half hour mark and an exploratory operation on Wednesday revealed that the attacking midfielder has bruising and damaged cartilage around his knee, which will require surgery.
The nature of the surgery means that Gavin will have to spend the rest of the current campiagn allowing the cartilage to heal and will have to look now to the start of the 2006/2007 season before he can take to the field again.
The news is a big blow for the club as they go into the last 11 matches with an outside shot at the play-offs. Gavin himself told the East Anglian Daily Times of his heartbreak at hearing the news: “I'm absolutely gutted by this. The team has been doing so well and I have been really enjoying my football.
“The lads have a big game against Leicester tomorrow which they can win and then two massive matches against Preston and Crystal Palace which could catapult us towards the play-off places, and I would have loved to have been involved.
“As it is I know I'm out now for the rest of the season and all I can do is look towards being fit in time for pre-season training and look forward to next season.”
Ipswich have been plauged with injuries this season but Scott Barron and Fabian Wilnis are fit after suffering niggles in the wake of Molineux. Alan Lee is also on the mend and he expects to be challenging for a first-team spot for the trip to Deepdale.