Aston Villa: England midfielder Fabian Delph faces two months out

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Fabian DelphImage source, Getty Images
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Delph started 33 of Villa's Premier League matches last term

Aston Villa's England international midfielder Fabian Delph will have surgery on a dislocated shoulder next week and could be out for two months.

The 24-year-old, who has started two of the last three Euro 2016 qualifying matches, injured his right shoulder in training on Tuesday.

England face Slovenia in a qualifier on 15 November with a friendly against Scotland following three days later.

But Delph is likely to be unavailable until just before Christmas.

Belgium striker Christian Benteke has just returned from six months out with an Achilles injury, appearing as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat by Manchester City.

Manager Paul Lambert feels the 23-year-old is close to a place to his starting line-up ahead of Saturday's match at Everton.

"I said at the time that the international break would come at a good time for him," the Villa manager said.

"That gave him another couple of weeks to train with the team, and we had a [behind-closed-doors] game against Leicester that he scored in so that gave him a lift as well."

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