West Ham's record signing, Andre 'Dede' Ayew faces four months on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury only days after signing from Swansea.
The £20.5 million Ghana forward who got injured just 35 minutes into his debut for the Hammers against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday is not expected back until Christmas, according to the Mirro UK.
Dede’s debut lasted just 35 minutes when he pulled up and—after a brief consultation with the Irons’ physio—was replaced by Gokhan Tore.
West Ham equalised through James Collins following Eden Hazard’s opener, but a late strike by Diego Costa ensured a maiden Premier League victory for Antonio Conte and a disappointing start to the new campaign for Slaven Bilic.
The Croatian coach sought to downplay suggestions that Ayew faced a long spell out, but reports in the British media on Wednesday would indicate that his worst fears have been realised.
West Ham travelled to Romania after their defeat by the Blues for Thursday’s Europa League qualifier against Astra Giurgiu.
The injury may also affect Dede's chances of representing at the 2017 AFCON, which will be his sixth AFCON tournament in a row.