Berger has already been ruled out of Saturday’s home Premiership clash with Charlton and also looks certain to miss next week’s Carling Cup clash at Doncaster.

Berger has been dogged by injury problems since moving from Fratton Park to Villa in the summer on a Bosman transfer.

Villa manager, David O’Leary, said: “Patrik was out there training but he had to stop. He has been to see the surgeon because we don’t want to take any chances and we will see what develops.”

Berger’s midfield colleague, Eirik Bakke, is also struggling to be available for the clash with the Addicks because of a severe bout of flu.

But striker Juan Pablo Angel and defender Jlloyd Samuel are both back in training after a calf injury and sickness bug respectively.

O’Leary, meanwhile, has hit back at speculation that club record signing Angel could be allowed to leave Villa in the January transfer window.

The Villa chief said: “That is a load of rubbish and I don’t want to say any more because such speculation doesn’t deserve any more.”