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Premier League: Cristian Benteke scores on comeback in Aston Villa U21 match

Christian Benteke in action on his return
Image: Christian Benteke: In action on his return

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke made a scoring comeback on Monday following nearly six months out injured.

Benteke played 63 minutes and scored a penalty in Villa Under-21s' 3-0 win over Bolton at Bodymoor Heath on Monday.

It was the Belgium international's first action since rupturing his Achilles at the end of last season - an injury which forced him to miss the World Cup.

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Benteke will be assessed this week but is likely to be in contention for Saturday evening's Premier League visit of champions Manchester City.

"Christian played for about an hour today and we're delighted with how he came through the game. It was great to see him back out there and he played well in the time he was on the pitch," said Villa manager Paul Lambert.

"He scored a goal, which is great for him, and his general play was good, too, considering how long he's been away from it.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow and how he recovers but it was a good, positive step for him today. It will have given him a lift to get out there and play and score a goal and that's great for him."

Christian Benteke of Aston Villa during the Barclays U21 League match between Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers at Bodymoor Heath
Image: Benteke: Played 63 minutes

Benteke has scored 34 goals in 67 games for Villa since his £7million move from Genk in 2012 with his goals key to keeping Villa in the top flight after two seasons of struggle.

They are currently sixth in the table after a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday with 10 points from their opening six games and Benteke's imminent return is set to be another huge boost.

The Stamford Bridge loss came after a 3-0 reverse against Arsenal but Tom Cleverley felt the side can still take something from the game.

"I think our performance improved from last weekend against Arsenal, which is a positive. I thought we were calm in possession, which is another positive," he told the club's official site.

"Let's not let our heads drop too much from this and prepare for next weekend."

Watch Aston Villa's Premier League clash at home to Manchester City live on Saturday Night Football, with coverage underway from 4.45pm on Sky Sports 1 HD.

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