The New England Patriots have confirmed that Rob Gronkowski will miss the rest of the playoffs after re-breaking his forearm in their game against the Houston Texans.

The tight end left the game visibly in pain in the first quarter of the 41-28 win, having landed heavily on his arm.

The 23-year-old initially sustained the injury in November, and underwent surgery to repair the fracture, before returning in the Patriots' final regular-season game against the Miami Dolphins.

Fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez told reporters: "It's hard to replace a player like him because he's a freak of nature. Everyone has to step up and everyone has to keep making plays so we can keep it rolling.

"[Gronkowski's presence] definitely helps me out because so much attention is on him. But like I said, everyone has to step up. It's a big loss and you can't replace a player like him."

It's been widely reported that Gronkowski will need a further operation to repair his forearm.