Footballer Emile Heskey faces a scan on a groin injury today that may reveal whether he can play in Aston Villa's Christmas period fixtures.

The forward limped off against Stoke City on Saturday and Villa manager Martin O'Neill confirmed it was his groin that harbours the injury, "although he was feeling a bit better after the game compared to when he came off".

He added that the club is "hoping for the best" when the results of the tests come through.

If the England striker has a significant problem, this could lead to him missing the matches against Arsenal and Liverpool at a time when he had been in form, scoring three times in the six matches prior to the Stoke game.

Those suffering from muscle strains may find that ultrasound treatment aids the problem.

Other Premier League footballers to have a scan on a groin injury recently include Blackburn Rovers player Brett Emerton, who missed Saturday's game against Tottenham Hotspur with the problem.