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Aston Villa rocked by news that Christian Benteke faces SIX weeks on the sidelines
ASTON VILLA have been rocked by the news that star striker Christian Benteke could be out for up to six weeks with a hip flexor injury.
Benteke picked up the injury in Saturday's match against Norwich and tried to carry on before being substituted.
The club announced on their Twitter page: "Paul Lambert confirms Christian Benteke will be out for four-six weeks. Better news than he first feared."
Villa manager Paul Lambert had earlier expressed hope that the Belgian could be back for this weekend's Premier League clash against Manchester City.
He told the Aston Villa website: "You are sitting hoping it is going to be pretty quick but you don't know and I have to wait and see when I get a call later to see what everybody's thinking."
But that call did not bring the news Lambert was hoping for and it now seems that Benteke could miss at least Villa's next four Premier League fixtures against City, Hull, Tottenham and Everton.
The news comes in the wake of an injury-hit Villa team suffering a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Spurs in the Capital One Cup this evening.