Benteke injury adds to Villa woe

Aston Villa 1 Fulham 2

The striker suffered the injury in training this week, robbing Aston Villa of one of their key players for the end of the season and also denying Benteke a place in the Belgium squad in Brazil this summer. Belgium qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002 and, with a generation of hugely-talented young players having emerged, they have been tipped to do well.

Villa boss Lambert said: “No one knew the extent of the injury and we had to wait and see what it was. We were hoping it was just a strain but weren’t sure until he went to the hospital. He’s okay at the moment but whether that’s just a feeling of shock I’m not sure. He knows he’s going to miss the World Cup but he’s in a generation of Belgium players you think will qualify for more tournaments.”