West Ham United's Mark Noble out for six weeks
West Ham United have been dealt a blow with the news that midfielder Mark Noble will be out of action for around six weeks after sustaining an injury.
The 23-year-old suffered from a problem with his hip in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday 20 November.
He had only just made his comeback to the side after being on the sidelines for 12 days following an operation on his appendix and will now miss several important games for the Hammers.
The news could hardly have come at a worse tome for the English Premier League club as they are at the bottom of the table. They are set to face fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic on Saturday 27 November in a match which has been described as a 'save our season'
game.
Noble's absence means that manager Avram Grant has no recognised central midfielders available as Thomas Hitzlsperger and Jack Collison are both out with injuries that have ruled them out of the entire season to date.
Noble has started in 12 of West Ham's 14 EPL games so far this season and has scored two goals, a penalty apiece against Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers. His performances so far this term have earned plaudits from his manager.
Meanwhile, Grant is sweating over the fitness of two of his other players ahead of the crucial Upton Park clash. Vice-captain Scott Parker missed the match with Liverpool due to a virus while midfielder Valon Behrami is also a doubt for the match.
The club have pulled out the stops to fill Upton Park for the match and have slashed the prices of their last 5,000 tickets in an attempt to draw fans to the game. West Ham have claimed just nine points this term, five fewer than Wigan.
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