West Ham United midfielder Luis Boa Morte faces a six-month lay-off after suffering a knee injury yesterday.

The Mirror says Boa Morte faces a six-month lay-off after injuring a knee in West Ham's pre-season defeat by Spurs yesterday.

The attacking midfielder suffered cruciate ligament damage in a tackle with Benoit Assou-Ekotto just 14 minutes into the friendly in China.

Shaken Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola said last night: "It is a big blow for me. Luis is an important player both on the pitch and off the pitch."

A club statement added: "Boa Morte will undergo further tests to determine whether or not he will require surgery when the swelling on his injured right knee goes down."