West Ham have been left with just two fit senior strikers following a serious hamstring injury to Michail Antonio which will rule him out for up to four months.

Wandsworth-born Antonio suffered the injury to his right leg in last week’s Carabao Cup tie at Newport and underwent successful surgery on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Antonio, who usually occupies a wide role for West Ham but has also played as a central striker, spent almost five months out with a similar injury to his left leg in 2018 and now faces another lengthy rehabilitation period.

With West Ham yesterday the sale of Mexican international striker Javier Hernandez to Spanish club Sevilla for £7.2 million, the East London Premier League club are down to two fit senior central strikers in French front man Sebastien Haller, who has scored three goals in the last two games – and Swiss star Albian Ajeti, who has impressed manager Manuel Pellegrini in training but has yet to make his Premier League debut.

The sale of Hernandez is a calculated gamble by West Ham but the Mexican was in the final year of his contract and earning £140,000 per week.

His departure has meant that Pellegrini has added 22-year-old Portuguese striker Xande Silva to his designated Premier League squad.

Silva, who joined West Ham from Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes for £1.3 million in August 2018, is currently recovering from an emergency bowel operation during the summer but should be fit in just over a month’s time.

I am also sure we can cope but a comparison to Man City only having two centre forwards is somewhat unfair bearing in mind they have at least half a dozen attacking midfielders that won't be far short of 20 goals apiece in all competitions come the end of the season COYI

You know what I mean we play 1 up top.  Ajeti, Yama can fill in if necessary.  Antonio and Silva should be up to speed by January.  Not ideal but heyho.
On a related note we have been linked with Mandzukic(juve).  If ever there was a typical pre-pellegrini signing then that would be it.

Thought we where piss poor tonight

Fornails Spanish kid ain’t got it imo rabbit in headlights imo

Better with ten men too
Lanzini was poor
Russian was poor
Noble try’s he’s best but just dam too slow

Huge miss sparrow

Poor effort that tonight but in years gone bye
We would got turned over tonight

Villa are poor too can’t see them getting many goals

Can’t believe how bad that Spanish kid is
Hes Chico but winger version !!

Our forward won’t stay for many season if gets that service all season
Too good for us imo

7m

Best ever buy in premier history imo fab is

I think 2-0 flattered us a bit but we did deserve the win with Anderson very poor again.
Defensively still very frail and lucky not to be punished on a few occasions today.

2 good goals from you and deserved the win for showing more intensity but thought it was a game low on quality tbh.

Big save by Fabianski from Maguire at 1-0 probably earnt you the win.

Thought we were very poor. Fornals looking like a very expensive mistake. At £20m+ you'd think he'd be quick and strong. Not much to ask is it??

Yarma has a decent left peg but no pace. Noone running off Haller.

Still, 2-0 against them was very pleasing. Never to be taken for granted.

Agree with most of your assessments fattie except for this playing out from defenders which is often suicidal and awful to watch. Bournemouth will definitely be tough and a draw there will be a good result.

Embarrassing them ****s are

Pellegrini will say that he’s holding back players for this weekends upcoming defeat at Bournemouth!
Anyone else remember the days when West Ham used to actually TRY and have a cup run?
Another pitiful exit from a cup competition...shameful.

The old fella had bit to say showed some passion
End of 90min today
Shame ain’t got non for cups

Take 2-2 draw being down in second half

Fab coming off injured is major blow
Let hope it’s not long term as our second in was piss in the week

Got few winnable games coming up

On paper it was a good result but once again defensively we continue to look vulnerable and we have to hope Fabianski is not out for too long. The midweek cup defeat was a disgrace with a fairly strong team fielded and questions need to be asked about the commitment and desire of many of these players. Pellegrini appears not to be blamed but won't get away with that sort of result for evermore.

Don’t know where to start with that today

First 7 min we where passing it around
Flicking it about like we where Brazil

5 min later we looked clueless how to break down palace bus
Same players not putting full shift in
Lanzini Anderson
noble and rice just too slow
Diop and obona are so poor on the ball embarrassing
Had more of the ball than lanzini and Anderson
One bit skill got a good goal thought that was it
Not played well in ages think todays result shows real us

21 games now Anderson not scored flat track player
I’d like spurs problems cos there got good Will
Turn it rd
Where going nowhere

**** me Antonio player wanted to sell in summer our best player

Also agree with what has been said, but for me the writing has been on the wall for weeks now. At the end of the first half we could see that Palace were beginning to get on top and apart from a good goal we were never convincing and deserved to lose the game. Having spent by far the largest amount of money of any West Ham manager Pellegrini needs to be called to account.

Reynard you are right about Hodgson, but West Ham fans would never warm to him that's for sure

You're

Pellegrini might need one for the team talks though