Belgium striker Christian Benteke was ruled out of the World Cup after rupturing his Achilles tendon in training with English Premier League team Aston Villa on Thursday.

Benteke will undergo surgery and "will be out for a minimum of six months", Villa said in a statement.

It is a major blow for Belgium's chances in Brazil, with the 23-year-old Benteke having been battling with Romelu Lukaku to be the team's main striker.

"Wishing you all the strength you need," Belgium captain Vincent Kompany said on Twitter, "and I hope you will recover quickly! We're all with you together."

Benteke proved to be one of the signings of last season after his £7m move from Genk, scoring 23 goals for Villa, 19 of them in the league, and, although his numbers have dropped in this campaign, he has 10 league goals, plus one in the Capital One Cup, and he was likely to have been a hot transfer property in the summer window.

Benteke has held a regular starting place for Belgium, who face South Korea, Algeria and Russia in the group stage at the World Cup finals. That is likely to mean greater involvement in Brazil for his Belgium team-mate Romelu Lukaku, another £20m-rated striker Tottenham have inquired about signing from Chelsea, although Everton, with whom he is currently on a season-long loan, are determined to secure him on a permanent deal.