Northern Ireland's Brunt out of Euros after knee surgery

Football - Northern Ireland Training - Torsvollur, Torshavn, Faroe Islands - 3/9/15 Northern Ireland's Chris Brunt during training. Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff/Livepic/Files

(Reuters) - Northern Ireland's West Bromwich Albion defender Chris Brunt will miss the rest of the season and the European Championship in June after undergoing knee surgery, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

Brunt ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when West Brom beat Crystal Palace 3-2 last Saturday and will miss the next six months after undergoing reconstructive surgery in France, the club said on their website. (www.wba.co.uk).

Northern Ireland finished top of their qualifying group to reach the European finals for the first time.

They have been drawn in Group C, alongside Germany, Poland and Ukraine for the June 10-July 10 tournament in France.

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Alan Baldwin)