Okore faces nine-month lay-off

The 21-year-old Denmark international was signed in the summer for a fee in the region of ?4million and now faces a long road back.

Okore limped from the pitch after half an hour of Villa's 2-1 defeat by Newcastle on Saturday and was sent for an MRI scan.

Manager Paul Lambert feared the worst for his new centre-back and that news was confirmed on Monday evening.

A club statement read: "Following clinical examination and the results of an MRI scan, the club can confirm that Jores Okore sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee in the game against Newcastle on Saturday.

"Jores will undergo surgery in due course and he could be sidelined for a period of up to nine months."

Okore's injury occurred during an apparently innocuous collision with Newcastle striker Loic Remy.

Source: PA

Source: PA