Christian Benteke will miss the remainder of the English Premier League season and the World Cup after injuring his Achilles tendon in training. Aston Villa confirmed that he will be out at least six months.
Christian Benteke injures Achilles, will miss World Cup
Belgium will head to Brazil without their first choice striker.
Chris Brunskill
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Though Villa said Benteke will miss at least six months, recovery times for Achilles injuries vary, so it’s difficult to predict how long he could be out. The worst case scenario, a full tear of the tendon, will keep Benteke out well into next season.
Benteke is Belgium’s first choice striker, and losing him puts a massive dent in their hopes of winning the World Cup. A physical force who has shown flashes of brilliance internationally, Benteke has emerged as one of the main men in Belgium’s “Golden Generation” that didn’t just qualify for the country’s first World Cup since 2002, but has them a serious contender to win the tournament.
Luckily for Belgium, they have a slew of attacking talent. There were some who believed Benteke shouldn't even start for Belgium, with Romelu Lukaku getting the nod instead. Now Lukaku could get his chance and would have Eden Hazard, Kevin Mirallas, Kevin De Bruyne and the rest of the vaunted Belgium attack behind him.
Aston Villa currently sit 12th in the table, eight points clear of the drop. With them looking likely to avoid the drop, losing Benteke is not be the end of the world, especially since his production had already slowed this season. He has just 11 goals, down from 23 last year.
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