West Ham have been rocked by the news that striker Carlton Cole may be out for up to four months.

The 26-year old injured his knee in the Hammers' 5-3 win over Burnley on Saturday and it is suspected that he has seriously damaged ligaments.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is unsure of how serious the injury is but admits it would be a devastating blow if the England international was to be ruled out.

"It is his right knee. He hit his knee and twisted it a little bit," Zola said.

"If it's ligaments then, yes, it could be a while. But I'm not a doctor.

"Everybody knows how important Carlton is for us, so hopefully it will not prove to be too bad."