SHOCKING NEWS;Rangers club announce manager to have planned heart surgery as temporary replacement confirmed

League Two favourites Gillingham have announced that Gareth Ainsworth will be away from the club for planned cardiac surgery.

The 52-year-old was in the dugout on Saturday as a 1-0 defeat to Harrogate Town ended the Gills’ unbeaten start to the season.

Stephen Duke-McKenna’s first-half strike was enough to give the League Two strugglers an unlikely victory at Priestfield Stadium.

Less than 24 hours later, Gillingham have confirmed that the loss was their manager’s final match in the dugout for several weeks.

The Kent-based outfit revealed in a statement that Ainsworth will undergo a planned medical procedure.

He will have heart surgery to correct an issue flagged up during routine tests carried out as part of the LMA’s health checks.

During his absence, Ainsworth will hand over the reins of Gillingham’s first-team affairs to his long-term assistant, Richard Dobson.

The pair have worked alongside each other throughout Ainsworth’s whole managerial career at Wycombe, QPR and Shrewsbury Town.

Ainsworth makes statement about planned surgery

The retired midfielder told Gillingham’s website: “I went for the LMA health check in May and they found something with my heart.

“I’ve got to have heart surgery this week. It sounds dramatic, but it’s a routine thing they do.