West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan will be out for up to six weeks after fracturing his shoulder.
Nolan missed Saturday's Premier League fixture as the Hammers toppled Crystal Palace 3-1 away from home, with coach Sam Allardyce now revealing that his midfielder has suffered something more serious than a minor knock.
"Kevin fractured his shoulder and that's a massive blow to us, along with all the other players we've got injured," said the coach, according to Sky Sports News.
"He will be out for probably six weeks I would think. It isn't a dislocated shoulder, it's a fractured shoulder, but I don't know just how long that will keep Kevin out.
"We dealt with it brilliantly at Palace and let's hope we can continue to do that. It didn't affect us at Palace and maybe that's a sign there's more to come."
West Ham currently occupy eighth position in the Premier League table.
Christopher Dodd
