(Reuters) - Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn is facing an extended spell on the sidelines after fracturing his ankle in the 3-1 defeat by Southampton at the weekend, the Premier League club have said.
The 25-year-old Scotland international was substituted eight minutes into the game on Saturday and manager Dean Smith said that McGinn was injured after getting his studs caught in the turf.
"The club can confirm that John McGinn suffered an ankle fracture during ... (Saturday's) match with Southampton," Villa said in a statement on Twitter https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1208730173518045184.
Villa, who dropped into the relegation zone after the defeat, did not give a timeframe for McGinn's return. The Birmingham-based club are now 18th in the table on 15 points and next face Norwich City in the league on Thursday.
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
