Mellberg out for six weeks
Aston Villa captain Olof Mellberg will be sidelined for six weeks after knee surgery.
Aston Villa captain Olof Mellberg will be sidelined for six weeks after undergoing surgery for a knee problem.The Swedish stopper picked up the injury in Saturday's 3-0 win over Newcastle, and could miss the rest of the season as he undergoes the rehabilitation process.
Villa manager David O'Leary was originally unsure as to how long his skipper would be absent for, and subsequent examinations have revealed substantial damage to the meniscus cartilage.
Mellberg revealed that he has been struggling with knee pain for a while, and remained philosophical about the severity of the injury.
"I have had problems with my right knee for three, four weeks, but on Saturday it was not expected," said Mellberg.
"We had known that there was a crack in the meniscus, but it was bigger than they expected.
"It was just as well to take a quick decision about surgery, it feels good that the problem has been addressed.
"It's obviously not fun to be injured, but at the same time it could have been worse."
The 27-year-old is targeting a comeback in time for Sweden's World Cup qualifier with Malta in June, although remains hopeful that a return before the end of the Premiership schedule can be achieved.
