Villarreal stung by bad Nihat tidings

Nihat Kahveci's patience is being tested after it was revealed the Villarreal CF forward faces up to six weeks in the treatment room with tears to his right thigh muscle.

Surgery a possibility
The 28-year-old had only recently made his comeback from a similar injury sustained with Turkey at UEFA EURO 2008™, which required surgery and three months of recuperation. Villarreal's chief medical officer Juan Albors explained the latest setback to the former Real Sociedad de Fútbol attacker, saying: "Nihat complained of soreness during the league game at [Real Sporting de] Gijón on 27 September. He needs to rest and unfortunately will be sidelined for between four and six weeks, during which time we will try various form of physio to speed up his rehabilitation. If none of these works, we can't rule out the possibility of an operation." The news comes as a blow to Villarreal who had been counting on Nihat's presence for key Liga and UEFA Champions League matches. So far this season he has made three league appearances only.