West Ham United manager David Moyes has revealed that striker Gianluca Scamacca will undergo knee surgery.
The Italian has missed the Hammers' last four matches in all competitions since picking up a knee injury during last month's international break.
Moyes stated earlier this month that he was hopeful Scamacca would not require an operation to rectify the problem and may need just a few weeks on the sidelines to recover.
However, the Scotsman has since confirmed that the 24-year-old is set to go under the knife on Saturday, and the striker is subsequently ruled out of Sunday's Premier League clash against Arsenal.
"Gianluca Scamacca is due to have an operation on his knee tomorrow night," Moyes said at a press conference on Friday. "We are only just back (from Belgium) so we are still getting ourselves together. Hopefully, everybody else is okay."
It remains to be seen whether Scamacca will play again for the Hammers this season, with their 2022-23 fixture schedule set to conclude at the end of May.
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Scamacca has endured a difficult debut season with West Ham following his £30.5m transfer from Serie A club Sassuolo last summer.
The striker has struggled for consistency in the final third, while niggling injuries have also hinders his progress at the London Stadium.
Across all competitions, Scamacca has scored eight goals in 27 appearances, including just three strikes in 16 outings in the Premier League.
The absence of Scamacca will now see Michail Antonio and January addition Danny Ings battle for a place in Moyes's starting lineup.
Ings was on the scoresheet as the Hammers played out a 1-1 draw away against Belgian outfit Gent in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday, while Antonio has failed to score in each his last four matches.
Moyes has talked up the challenge his West Ham side are set to face against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on Sunday, and a defeat against the league leaders could pile more pressure on the Scotsman's shoulders.
West Ham, who have failed to win their last seven meetings with the Gunners, currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, just three points above the relegation zone.
Oliver Thomas
