West Ham United midfielder Michail Antonio has been ruled out for four months after undergoing surgery on his hamstring injury.
The Hammers star sustained the knock seven minutes into West Ham’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Newport last week, and the club’s worst fear was confirmed afterwards.
Antonio will now miss a large chunk of the campaign, dealing a blow on manager Manuel Pellegrini’s attacking depth.
The 29-year-old primarily plays on the flanks but was earmarked to help provide striking cover for summer signing Sebastian Haller.
Having flogged Javier Hernandez on Monday, Albian Ajeti is now the other striking option West Ham have.