West Ham midfielder Carlos Sanchez faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines and knee surgery after it emerged the Colombian international sustained ligament damage during the Carabao Cup clash against Macclesfield.
The £5m signing from Fiorentina, who has featured in just six games for the Hammers, was thought to have sustained a more serious injury which would have kept the 32-year-old out for much longer, but it is hoped Sanchez will be back much sooner than anticipated.
Sanchez was hurt after just ten minutes during the 8-0 thrashing of Macclesfield in the Carabao Cup last week, where the Hammers gave debuts to three academy graduates, including Grady Diangana, who scored twice.