Laursen facing four-month KO

Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen has revealed he will need an operation on his injured knee, ruling him out for up to four months.

The Danish international is also likely to miss his country’s World Cup qualifiers against Albania, Turkey and Georgia.

Following a scan on the knee, Laursen told Danish television station DR Sporten that an operation is required.

“This news means I’m out of action for a long time, and there’s nothing really to say to it, besides I’m sorry, I can’t play in the national team and for Aston Villa.”

He told another television station, TV2: “It’s not certain how long I’m out of action. The best prognosis says four-five weeks, the worst one says three-four months, but it’s certain I’m having an operation and it will most likely be on Friday.”