West Ham Suffer Another Major Injury Setback After Defender Undergoes Surgery

West Ham Suffer Another Major Injury Setback After Defender Undergoes Surgery

West Ham will be without centre-back Fabian Balbuena for two months after the player underwent surgery.

The Paraguayan international sustained a knee injury in the 2-0 home defeat to Watford back in December, not long after conceding a penalty during the game.

It was hoped that Balbuena was closing in on a return to full fitness for this weekend’s game against Arsenal, but after being assessed by the club’s medical staff, it was decided that the defender should have the operation.

It means Angelo Ogbonna will continue to partner Issa Diop in the heart of the Hammers’ defence. The London club have conceded five goals in the four games that the pair have started together, including wins against Southampton and Birmingham, a draw against Brighton and a defeat to Burnley.



Balbuena has joined a long injury list, which includes three other players, Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sanchez and Winston Reid, who are currently sidelined with knee problems.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.