Dimitri Payet felt a sense of relief when he learned he would not require surgery on his ankle.

The French attacking midfielder, who has starred for the Hammers with five goals and three assists already, sustained ankle ligament damage in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Everton at Upton Park.

A medical update on Monday revealed that Payet would not need to undergo an operation on the problem area and the former Marseille star was appeased by the news.

Payet also spoke of the support he has received from the club and it's supporters since he went down early in the second half.

Payet told the club's official website: "It has been a week since I sustained the injury. I am doing well. I am surrounded by very good people which has allowed me to recover and I am keeping my head high. It is a long period but I am looking forward to making a return to action.

"Of course it is a big relief for me that I will not need an operation. I speak from experience and having had a couple of operations it is not an easy thing to cope with. It is good news on that front but it doesn't change the time that it will take me to recover.

"I am taking the news as well as I can. There are more serious things that happen in life and injuries happen in that situation. You have to put things in perspective and the most important thing is for me to get back playing as quickly as I can.

"The support has been fantastic from my team-mates, everyone at the Club and from the supporters. It is during these times that you can really feel loved. That is very important and I want to get back playing as quickly as I can and perform to the way I have been doing so far this season. It has been a dream for me.

"It has been a big help to me with the support from the fans. It has been incredible the support they have shown towards me and not just at home, but when we play away as well. You can really feel the fans support and I really hope it will become even greater as time goes on.

"The medical team here is excellent and they are doing everything they can to help me. We have regular meetings every day where I get updates and that is a big boost for me in the recovery process and getting back as quickly as I can."