DANNY INGS has been given a jab in his injured knee to speed up his recovery.
West Ham’s new £15million striker suffered a painful whack barely 30 seconds into his debut on Saturday.
AFPDanny Ings suffered an injury just seconds into his West Ham debut[/caption]
It could rule him out for up to three weeks and is a cruel blow to the player and his club so soon after his arrival.
Ings, 30, only completed his move from Aston Villa 36 hours before coming off the bench in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Everton.
Hammers medical staff are now waiting to assess the reaction to the jab and will know more in the next 24 hours.
Ings was already cup-tied for Monday’s FA Cup fourth-round trip to Derby County.
But Irons boss David Moyes will hope his new signing will not miss any more time.
Ings was brought in to alleviate the pressure on the forward line, in particular with Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca also struggling for fitness at the moment.
His unfortunate injury means Moyes will now be reluctant to sell unsettled Michail Antonio before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Long-serving crowd-favourite Antonio, 32, has been dropping hints that he fancies a move, with Wolves one of a number of interested clubs, even though he has scored only two Premier League goals this season.
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Sources at West Ham say they are unaware of any interest from Chelsea who reportedly made a loan offer for the player.
Antonio said: “I’ve not ruled anything out.
“There are talks, so whatever happens, happens. I’ve been here for eight-and-a-half years now, becoming top goalscorer for the club and I’ve loved every moment of it.
“Every single moment is somewhere close to my heart and I’ll always be looking out for it. I love the fans, I’ve loved my time at West Ham.
“I’m not saying goodbye. I won’t be upset about staying and I’ll definitely be upset if I leave because I’ve enjoyed my time here, but football is football.
“Players move, players stay and eight-and-a-half years at one club, I would never have thought of it because before I came to West Ham the most I stayed at a club was two years.
“I can’t say I’m going because I’ve still got a year-and-a-half left at the club.”