According to Spanish media reports, Valencia's star striker David Villa will be sidelined for a month following a knee injury sustained in Saturday's match against Mallorca. 

Fortunately for Villa, his injury appears a lot less serious than first suspected.  There had been initial fears that he had torn an anterior cruciate ligament which would have meant a far longer period of treatment.     

Jorge Candel, Valencia's head of medicine said that Villa had suffered "a grade two sprain of the medial collateral ligament and a strained anterior cruciate ligament".   

"It could have been worse with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, but the knee has stood up well thanks to the preventive work done by the physiotherapists."  

Villa is expected to begin rehabilitation work in a week and if all goes according to plan, he should be available for selection again within a month.