Villa suffer Gardner blow

Youngster facing up to three weeks on sidelines

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 27th March 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Villa suffer Gardner blow

Gardner: Sidelined

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Aston Villa's Craig Gardner is set to be sidelined for three weeks with a thigh strain.

The versatile midfielder suffered the injury in the first half of England Under-21s friendly against Poland on Tuesday evening.

He now looks set to miss this Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester United, as well as the upcoming games against Bolton and Derby.

Gardner had only just shrugged off a back problem that forced him to miss the recent defeat to Portsmouth.

The youngster has been filling in primarily as an emergency right-back in the absence of Olof Mellberg in the last few weeks.

However, Sweden international Mellberg will be available again for the trip to Old Trafford.