Delph out for eight months for Aston Villa

Aston Villa's Fabian Delph has been ruled out for up to eight months after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Delph suffered the injury to his left knee in training on Saturday and the extent of the problem has been confirmed by examinations and scans.

The 18-year-old, who moved to Villa Park from Leeds in August last year, will undergo ACL reconstruction in the near future.

Delph has featured in 15 games in all competitions for Villa this season, scoring his only goal in the FA Cup win over Brighton in January.

His last appearance came against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium at the start of the month, when he played for 75 minutes before being replaced by Steve Sidwell.