Konstantinos Mavropanos picked up an injury as West Ham secured a 2-1 win against QPR in the FA Cup.
Mavropanos injured his neck and had to be stretchered off the pitch, with Nuno Espirito Santo claiming that it looks to be a bad one.
The West Ham manager, however, did not put a timeline on the return of the Greece international.
How much confidence does the win over QPR give you heading into Spurs? 👀
Oh, how sweet it would be to start to turn things around against them 😍
Konstantinos Mavropanos may even be out for a month
It is never a good sign when a player needs to be stretchered off the pitch.
Usually, even in the event of major injuries, players like to walk it off, but Mavropanos was in no condition to do so.
This immediately made fans fear for the worst as it hinted at it potentially being a long-term injury setback.
However, Claret and Hugh’s Sean Whetstone has claimed that he is expected to recover quickly.
Discussing the centre-back’s injury, Dr Rajpal Brar, a sports scientist and injury expert, stated that the best case for him would be a return within a few days.
Despite the report, there is a chance of some ligament damage that could rule him out for over three weeks.
Dr Brar told Hammers News exclusively: “While he was stretchered off, reports have stated that he is expected to recover quickly.
“The best case here would be a mild muscular strain and the worst case would be something more structural, like ligament damage or disc compression.
“In the mild case, looking at days to a couple of weeks.
“In the severe cases, it could be over three weeks to months, depending on the severity.”
Will West Ham accelerate their pursuit of a new defender post Mavropanos’ injury?
The Hammers wanted to sign a new defender in January anyway, but may now be forced into acting quickly.
Mavropanos’ departure could be a few weeks or several, and the uncertainty surrounding his return could see West Ham making a move for another centre-back.
Charlie Cresswell has admirers at West Ham since the summer, and him moving to the London Stadium over the coming weeks cannot be ruled out.
It remains to be seen if Nuno has alternatives that he recommends the Hammers’ hierarchy sign.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
