Noble sidelined after surgery

West Ham's bid to climb off the foot of the Barclays Premier League table has been dealt a blow with the news influential midfielder Mark Noble has been ruled out for a month after having surgery to remove his appendix.The 23-year-old was taken to hospital on Monday after complaining of stomach pains at the Hammers' Chadwell Heath training ground.He underwent an hour-long operation at an Essex hospital and is expected to be back in around a month's time.