Aston Villa dealt huge Ritchie De Laet blow
Villa have been dealt a blow after full-back Ritchie De Laet was ruled out for the season with a serious knee injury.
The 27-year-old, who joined Villa from Leicester City last month in a £2.5million move was forced off during the second half of Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Brentford and a subsequent scan revealed ligament damage.
De Laet revealed the severity of the injury with a post on Twitter which read: "Absolutely gutted that I'm gonna miss this season but I'm sure the boys will turn it around and get us up there."
The Belgian was one of nine new players signed by Roberto Di Matteo over the course of the summer, with his versatility of particular appeal to the Villa boss.
Di Matteo said: "I feel very sorry for the boy. Ritchie was very happy to come here, to join us. He has had a really positive impact in the team as well with some good performances. He is a really likeable player to have around. He has a great work ethic. It is a blow for him, it is a blow for the team but we have cover."
