West Ham have confirmed that Andy Carroll will be sidelined for a month with the hamstring injury he sustained in the 3-1 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Carroll, 27, has suffered numerous fitness problems since joining the Hammers permanently from Liverpool in the summer of 2013, and was forced off just 15 minutes into the victory against the Cherries.
There had been suggestions that the England international was facing two months out, however, the Hammers announced on Thursday that he should be back in four weeks.
INJURY NEWS: The club have provided an update on @AndyTCarroll's hamstring injury: https://t.co/hgQKaCCgWH #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/Rzvds1Uir8
- West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) January 14, 2016
"West Ham United can confirm Andy Carroll underwent a scan on his left leg on Thursday morning," a West Ham statement read. "The results show an injury to his hamstring, which is expected to keep him out of action for a month."
Carroll had returned to form and fitness before his latest setback with two goals in his previous two Premier League games.
His absence means Hammers boss Slaven Bilic will likely turn to one, or both, of Enner Valencia and Nikica Jelavic for Saturday's trip to Newcastle.
Bilic is also currently missing Cheikhou Kouyate (groin), Manuel Lanzini (thigh) and Diafra Sakho (thigh), although he revealed Victor Moses could return from a hamstring injury.