West Ham's Fullkrug faces lengthy spell on sidelines after hamstring injury

West Ham's Niclas Fullkrug will be out for several months with a hamstring injury. The club confirmed the striker suffered the injury during Friday's FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Hammers. The German international injured his thigh without any contact with the opposition, raising immediate concerns about the severity of the problem.
An MRI scan at the weekend revealed that a muscle tendon in Fullkrug's thigh is affected, indicating a more serious injury than first thought. The setback comes as a major disappointment for West Ham, who had relied on Fullkrug's goalscoring ability since his arrival last summer from Borussia Dortmund">Borussia Dortmund.
"West Ham United can confirm striker Niclas Füllkrug sustained a hamstring injury in Friday’s FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa," stated West Ham on X.
The 31-year-old striker had been in fine form, scoring eight goals in December, earning him the EA Sports Player of the Month award. West Ham manager Graham Potter was concerned after the match: "I would imagine it's quite a severe hamstring injury when you pull up like that so that's a concern for us".
The loss of Fullkrug is particularly challenging for West Ham, as they are already missing captain Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio due to injuries.