• Premier League

Lambert relief at Benteke diagnosis

ESPN staff
September 25, 2013
Christian Benteke will miss Aston Villa's games against Man City, Hull, Spurs and Everton © PA Photos
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Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert did his best to look on the bright side of the news that striker Christian Benteke will be out for up to six weeks with a hip injury.

Benteke pulled up in the first half of Aston Villa's 1-0 win over Norwich City and has subsequently been ruled out until after the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

The Belgian international missed Villa's Capital One Cup exit at the hands of Tottenham on Tuesday night, but while Lambert got a glimpse of life without his star striker he took the positives from the news.

"It is not as bad as we feared it was going to be," said Lambert. "Maybe four, five, six weeks or so.

"The medical people give you the best and worst case scenario - you are never quite sure until you hear from the professor.

"Thankfully it is not too serious. It has got a lot better and he is feeling a lot better and the international break certainly helps us."

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