Andy Carroll: West Ham striker ruled out for rest of the season
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll will have surgery on his injured left knee next week and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Carroll suffered medial ligament damage in Wednesday's 0-0 draw at Southampton.
The 26-year-old was forced to stay on the pitch because West Ham were down to 10 men and had made all three of their substitutions.
Earlier on Friday, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said the club were hoping he would be out for four to six weeks.
"The medial ligament on the inside of his knee has a little tear from a fairly innocuous collision," Allardyce said, before a specialist confirmed Carroll would require surgery on Tuesday.
"It's a big blow for him and us but one we've got to cope with."
Andy Carroll's injury record at West Ham
September 2012: Picks up hamstring injury in his first game on loan - out for a month
November 2012: Twists knee against Manchester United - sidelined for two months
May 2013: Damages heel in the last game of the season - out for seven months
July 2014: Tears ankle ligaments in pre-season - out for four months
February 2015: Knee surgery - set to miss rest of the season
Speaking after the Southampton match, Allardyce said of his striker: "I just hope that staying on hasn't done any more damage."
Carroll, out for most of last season with an Achilles problem, missed the first three months of this campaign after injuring ankle ligaments in New Zealand in pre-season.
He had scored five goals in 14 games since returning in November.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool forward has nine England caps, and scored twice, but has not played for the national team since a World Cup qualifier against San Marino in October 2012.
Carroll has only started in 43.4% of the club's games since joining in 2012 - initially on loan, before his £15m move a year later.
West Ham face West Brom in the FA Cup fifth round at The Hawthorns in Saturday's early kick-off (12:45 GMT).
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll will have surgery on his injured left knee next week and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Carroll suffered medial ligament damage in Wednesday's 0-0 draw at Southampton.
The 26-year-old was forced to stay on the pitch because West Ham were down to 10 men and had made all three of their substitutions.
Earlier on Friday, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said the club were hoping he would be out for four to six weeks.
"The medial ligament on the inside of his knee has a little tear from a fairly innocuous collision," Allardyce said, before a specialist confirmed Carroll would require surgery on Tuesday.
"It's a big blow for him and us but one we've got to cope with."
Andy Carroll's injury record at West Ham
September 2012: Picks up hamstring injury in his first game on loan - out for a month
November 2012: Twists knee against Manchester United - sidelined for two months
May 2013: Damages heel in the last game of the season - out for seven months
July 2014: Tears ankle ligaments in pre-season - out for four months
February 2015: Knee surgery - set to miss rest of the season
Speaking after the Southampton match, Allardyce said of his striker: "I just hope that staying on hasn't done any more damage."
Carroll, out for most of last season with an Achilles problem, missed the first three months of this campaign after injuring ankle ligaments in New Zealand in pre-season.
He had scored five goals in 14 games since returning in November.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool forward has nine England caps, and scored twice, but has not played for the national team since a World Cup qualifier against San Marino in October 2012.
Carroll has only started in 43.4% of the club's games since joining in 2012 - initially on loan, before his £15m move a year later.
West Ham face West Brom in the FA Cup fifth round at The Hawthorns in Saturday's early kick-off (12:45 GMT).
