Thursday 18 August 2016 11:33, UK
West Ham United's record signing Andre Ayew requires surgery on his thigh injury and could be out of action for up to four months.
Ayew was forced to come off in the first half of his competitive debut, the Sky Live 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Monday Night Football.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic travelled to Romania for the club's latest Europa League qualifier on Wednesday without their record signing saying he expected the Ghana international would be out "for a few weeks".
But club chairman David Gold, who previously confirmed the fee West Ham paid for Ayew was £20.5m, said on Thursday morning that their summer signing will be out for a much longer period than Bilic initially indicated.
Gold said on Twitter: "Sad news. Ayew has injured his quadriceps and will need surgery. He will be out for 4 months. Good luck Andre."
Jack Sullivan, son of West ham joint-chairman David, had first revealed the injury on Wednesday night, saying on social media: "We are devastated that Ayew will be out for about 4 month (sic). He needs a surgery."
In a statement on their website, the club's head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke admitted the player faced "a significant rehabilitation period" out of the game.
He said: "Andre Ayew injured his right thigh at Chelsea on Monday and underwent a scan on Wednesday afternoon.
"The medical team will now assess the results with a leading consultant before drawing any conclusions.
"My first thought and priority is with the player and his physical and mental wellbeing. He has suffered a significant injury and it is imperative that we do not rush to conclusions and we receive the correct diagnosis by consulting top specialists.
"At this time, it is too early to put a time-frame on his potential return date but Andre is facing a significant rehabilitation period.
"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."
West Ham, who finished seventh last season, host their first league game - and the Sky Sports cameras - at the London stadium when they entertain Bournemouth on Sunday.
