New West Ham United boss Graham Potter has picked up a serious injury as Niclas Fullkrug faces up to three months on the sidelines.
The 31-year-old striker went down clutching his thigh during Friday night's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup and left the field in obvious embarrassment.
Fullkrug eventually had to be helped down the tunnel by West Ham's medical team, with Potter and the club's supporters sweating over the extent of the case.
Potter, named as Substitute for Julen Lopetegui on Thursday, told reporters after the game: “I would imagine it's a pretty bad hamstring injury when you go down like that, so that's a concern for us.”
Sky Sport Germany report that scans carried out on Saturday show that Potter had every right to fear, with Fullkrug set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines – the second time he has been injured for a significant amount of time after picking up a hamstring problem Achilles tendon while in international matches. duty with Germany in September.
West Ham may now be forced to dip into the transfer market as they are already without captain Jarrod Bowen, who has broken his leg in recent games. 5-0 defeat against Liverpooland Michail Antonio, who is recovering from multiple injuries – including a broken leg – suffered in a life-threatening car accident just before Christmas.
32-year-old Danny Ings could be drafted into the team as a short-term measure, but his record of four goals in 47 Premier League appearances for West Ham He is unlikely to convince Potter that he is the answer moving forward.
Mohammed Kudus could also be deployed centrally in a false nine role, although West Ham could look to keep him in the side if Crysencio Summerville's fumble in Friday's defeat proves to be anything but substantial.