O'Halloran faces surgery and a lengthy period out of action (Getty)

The 20-year-old's loan at Leeds was cut short after he damaged cruciate ligaments ahead of what would have been his debut last Saturday.

"It's early days at the moment and I'm just trying to be positive," O'Halloran told BBC WM.

"I'll probably need an operation so we'll have to take it day-by-day."

Interview: Aston Villa defender Stephen O'Halloran

O'Halloran, who has won two senior Republic of Ireland caps, has yet to play for the Villa first team and had previously been out on loan to Wycombe and Southampton before heading to Elland Road in February.

We thought it might be hamstring or something at the back of the knee. Even the physio didn't think it would be that bad Aston Villa's Stephen O'Halloran

O'Halloran was preparing to make his debut for Leeds at Swindon when disaster struck.

"We were just warming up and 20 minutes in I was closing someone down and checked to the right and something popped," he said.

"I wasn't expecting it to be cruciate ligaments. Even the physio didn't think it would be that bad. We thought it might be hamstring or something at the back of the knee."

O'Halloran is now back at Villa and waiting for the results of a second scan which should confirm how long he will be out of action.