Carroll hit with injury hammer blow

West Ham’s preparations for the new Premier League season have been thrown into turmoil after striker Andy Carroll announced he is to undergo surgery on an ankle injury.

The club-record signing missed most of last season due to a troublesome foot problem and was ruled out of two friendlies on the current tour of New Zealand as a precaution.

Carroll could now be out for up to another four months after confirming he requires surgery to fix the issue.