West Ham United’s Andy Carroll has picked up a knee injury.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic admits striker Andy Carrol could be out for four to six weeks after he picked up a knee injury in midweek, the BBC report.
The England international was ruled out of the clash against Bournemouth after injuring his knee in midweek, leaving the Hammers extremely short of options in the final third.
While West Ham subsequently defeated the Cherries 1-0 thanks to Michail Antonio’s late strike, Carroll’s absence was felt and Bilic admits his side struggle without him.
West Ham’s Andy Carroll reacts
“Hopefully it will be four weeks. It’s nothing major. But it’s very sad for him and us. He’s a great centre-forward. It’s a big problem for us without him. We’re counting on him big time,” Bilic told the BBC.
Carroll has a record of picking up knee injuries and a good chunk of the first half of last season recovering from a long-term injury and missing out on a number of key fixtures.
With West Ham short on numbers and facing key clashes as they bid to qualify for the Europa League, Carrol’s injury ultimately couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Aside from possessing a decent goal scoring record, the former Newcastle United provides much more than a goal threat as he links up with his teammates well and brings fellow attacking players into play.
Without that focal point up top, West Ham struggled to get bodies in and around the Bournemouth area at times and without Harry Arter’s dismissal the game looked destined for a 0-0 bore-draw.
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