West Ham striker Andy Carroll will be sidelined for up to six weeks after tearing a ligament in his knee, manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed.
Carroll could not complete the closing stages of his side’s 0-0 draw at Southampton, a Premier League game which the Hammers ended with only nine men after goalkeeper Adrian received his marching order.
“I think a full diagnosis is yet to come,” said Allardyce. “It is likely to be a few weeks, the medial ligament on the side of his knee has a tear in it from a fairly innocuous collision.
“Hopefully (he will only miss) four to six weeks if we are lucky, depending on Andy’s recovery rate. It is a big blow for him and a big blow for us but it is one we have to cope with. It is traumatic when someone is going through a period when in a short time they overcome one injury and another occurs.”
The 26-year-old, who missed the 1-1 draw with Manchester United with an ankle injury, has been bedeviled by several injury concerns having missed the start of the season and much of last year.
