Villa defender Vlaar out for at least a month

LONDON (Reuters) - Aston Villa's Dutch international defender Ron Vlaar has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a knee injury, the Premier League team said on Thursday.

(Reuters)

"There's a little bit of meniscus damage there but it's not as bad as we thought," manager Paul Lambert told the club's website (www.avfc.co.uk).

Vlaar suffered the injury early in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Jan. 1.

Villa, in 12th place on 22 points, face a Midlands derby at bottom club Leicester City on Saturday.

(Writing by Justin Palmer, editing by Tony Jimenez)