West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being advised to undergo knee surgery.

Carroll had been expected to be sidelined for six weeks after suffering a torn medial ligament injury during the 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday night.

However, the Hammers have since revealed that after an assessment by a specialist, the England international will undergo a knee operation at the start of next week.

While the length of the recovery period remains uncertain, the club expect Carroll to be missing until the summer.

The 26-year-old has scored five goals in 16 appearances in all competitions this season.