The father of Everton winger Andros Townsend admits his recovery from an ACL injury is going to take a "long time".

The 30-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the Blues' FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace at the end of March. He was soon ruled out for the remainder of the season, as he underwent his period of recovery.

Everton confirmed soon after the injury that Townsend had successful surgery, as his recovery period began. Now his father, Troy, has provided an update on how the winger is going on with his rehabilitation.

"He's away at the moment, he's back this week," Townsend's father told The Guardian podcast.

“It's now in the process of recuperation, so he doesn't get much time off and I don't think he'd want it.

“He needs to get back and make the knee stronger and see where the season will take him, but it definitely won't be the first half [of next season], I will imagine.

Townsend added: “He's always said that he's never been a good patient and that he wants to get back out onto the field of play.

“I think the reality of this injury is that getting back out onto the field of play is going to be a long, long time away.

“Mentally, that takes a massive strain on you when you have been active so much, and it's another part of being a professional footballer that you have to try and balance as much as you can.

“I've always said that he's a bit fortunate, he's got a young family and he's always said that since the children have come that they have taken away a lot of the stress and the strain away from the game because they bring the reality straight back.

“His family are going to be massively important in the way that he deals with the nature of the injury, and hopefully he comes back, whether it's at the end of the year or the beginning of the new year."