Hammer injury blow for Noble

West Ham's bid to climb off the foot of the Barclays Premier League table have been dealt a blow with the news that influential midfielder Mark Noble has been ruled out for a month after having surgery to remove his appendix on Monday night.

The 23-year-old was taken to hospital after complaining of stomach pains at the Hammers' Chadwell Heath training ground on Monday.

He underwent an hour-long operation at an Essex hospital and is expected to be back in around a month's time.

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