West Ham United FC

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Ankle op rules out Ashton

26 Sep 2008 - 07:30:55

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West Ham striker Dean Ashton faces around a month on the sidelines after discovering he requires surgery on an ankle problem.

The injury-plagued England striker will go under the knife next week after damaging his ankle during training earlier this month.

Ashton is now expected to miss around five Premier League games and England's two World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus next month before returning towards the end of October.

"Dean Ashton will undergo arthroscopic surgery to his left ankle next week," confirmed a club statement.

The 24-year-old's time with the Hammers has been blighted by a succession of injury problems since breaking his ankle while on international duty in August 2006.

The former Crewe striker, who cost £7.25million from Norwich in January 2006, missed the entire 2006/07 season and saw his last campaign also interrupted by further fitness problems.

Ashton signed a new five-year contract at Upton Park at the beginning of the summer but has yet to make an appearance under new manager Gianfranco Zola.