Villa blow as Petrov ruled out

Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov faces at least two months on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury, manager Gerard Houllier confirmed Monday.

Petrov was injured during Villa's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday and now faces an anxious wait to see if he requires an operation, Houllier said on the club's website.

"Unfortunately I think we have lost Stiliyan Petrov for maybe at least two months," Houllier said.

"We will see if he needs an operation or not - we will know that by the middle of the week.

"It is a shame because he was getting up to a good level. It was a very unfortunate accident."

The Bulgarian midfielder has emerged as a key figure for Villa since joining the club in 2006 and had played in all nine matches this season.

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