Andy Carroll will be out for three months after undergoing surgery on Monday morning to repair a hairline fracture to his foot. The West Ham United striker had been the subject of interest from Chelsea during this transfer window but any hopes he had of securing a move away have ended.

West Ham had hoped that they would be able to avoid surgery, having been warned it was likely last week following a scan, but a decision was taken after consulting with another specialist on Monday. The club had considered using a protective boot to rehabilitate the injury but it has been decided that was too much of a risk and the surgery was opted for.

Carroll is understood to be devastated at the news, which is a severe blow to West Ham, also. They were not prepared to loan the 29-year-old to Chelsea but would have considered a deal for a fee of around £20million and taking Michy Batshuayi on loan.

Chelsea may not have agreed to this and when Telegraph Sport revealed last week that Carroll was injured they turned their attentions to other targets.

Carroll is believed to have suffered the injury during the match against West Bromwich Albion when he scored two goals to gain a vital win. He made a substitute appearance against Tottenham Hotspur but has been ruled out since then.