Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis is recovering after undergoing a heart bypass operation in Birmingham.
The 81-year-old had surgery on Sunday at the city's Priory Hospital after complaining of chest pains last week.
A club spokesman said: "The surgeon was very pleased with the way things went and the chairman is in recovery."
Ellis, who has been at the club for 37 years, has already indicated that he intends to return to work at Villa Park for the start of the new campaign.
Operations director Steven Stride and company secretary Marion Stringer are running the business with the club's board in his absence.
A board meeting has been scheduled to confirm responsibilities during the absence of Ellis, who has been Villa's controlling shareholder since 1982.
