North Melbourne have revealed that midfielder Ben Cunnington has undergone surgery on a testicular tumour this week.

Cunnington is now recovering after the procedure, and is set to miss an extended period of time.

Speaking via a club statement, Kangaroos football boss Brady Rawlings revealed that the club and Cunnington were able to swiftly act on the small tumour.

โ€œThis has all happened very quickly, but our focus is on Ben and his family right now as they deal with this news and allow him to recover fully,โ€ Rawlings said.

โ€œFrom the diagnosis earlier in the week up until this point, weโ€™ve moved quickly to ensure Ben is in the right hands medically and that he and his family have the right support around them.

โ€œWe ask that everyone respects Ben and his familyโ€™s privacy as this is a private health matter.

โ€œDue to the sensitive nature of this news, we ask that the same level of respect and privacy be afforded to Benโ€™s wider family, friends, teammates, coaches and staff.โ€

Cunnington has played 15 games for the Kangaroos this season, bringing his career tally to 227 matches.