West Ham United's club-record signing Andre Ayew is facing four months in the sidelines.
The Ghanaian winger, who joined the Hammers from Swansea City for £20.5million this summer, sustained a serious thigh injury on his debut for the East London club against Chelsea on Monday night.
Ayew was subbed off in just the 35th minute and scans have since revealed he will need to undergo surgery and could miss as much as four months of action.
Jack Sullivan, son of co-chairman David, Tweeted the news on Wednesday evening.
We are devastated that Ayew will be out for about 4 month. He needs a surgery
— Jack Sullivan (@jsullivanwhu) August 17, 2016
West Ham's Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke gave an update on Ayew's situation on the club's official website but stopped short of predicting the length of the 26-year-old's absence.
“At this time, it is too early to put a timeframe on his potential return date but Andre is facing a significant rehabilitation period," he said.
“The best thing we can do as a Club is to support Andre through this difficult period. We will keep you updated throughout this process and I am sure he will be come back stronger than ever."