MADRID, Oct 4. (Xinhua) -- Villarreal will be without the services of their Turkish international striker Nihat Kaveci for over a month because of a muscle injury.

    The 28-year-old had to leave the pitch before the end of his side's 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon last weekend and has been undergoing tests to discover just how serious his injury actually was.

Villarreal's Nihat Kahveci reacts during their Spanish first division soccer match against Racing Santander at the Madrigal Stadium in Villarreal September 24, 2008.

"Nihat ended the first half in Gijon, but he had problems. He has a torn muscle close to the tendon in his knee," explained Villarreal club doctor Juan Albors on the club website.

    "Unfortunately what he needs now is rest and unfortunately he will be out for between four and six weeks in which we are going to try physiotherapeutic treatment. If none of those work then we're not ruling out a possible operation," Albors said.

    Nihat missed the start of this season after recovering from a knee operation for an injury that he picked up playing for Turkey in last summer's European Championships.

    The player, who scored 18 goals for his club in the Primera Liga last season, has only made three first team appearances so far this campaign. He will also miss Turkey's World Cup qualifying matches against Estonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.