Abdominal injury ends Noble's season

Cape Town - Mark Noble has been ruled out for the rest of West Ham's season as he prepares to undergo surgery on an abdominal injury.

The 30-year-old, who has played with the problem for a number of weeks, will miss the Hammers' final two 2017 Premier League games of the season.

In 12th place on the standings, with 42 points, West Ham have secured their league survival for another year, meaning Noble won't be missed in games against Liverpool and Burnley.

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke revealed that the captain had delayed the procedure in order to be able to play as many games as possible.

He told the club's official website: "Mark has been playing in pain, but he is the captain and he wanted to do everything he could to ensure the Club retained its Premier League status.

"Mark is as brave as they come and he ignored the pain as best he could, but the Premier League takes it toll.

"We attended an appointment with the specialist on the evening before the Tottenham game and it was deemed that the surgery was now urgent, he played in the game and played a big part in our victory that ensured the Club's safety."

Meanwhile the Hammers have confirmed that Michail Antonio has agreed a new four-year deal with the club after being linked with a move to Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Antonio is currently on the sidelines recovering from the hamstring injury which brought a premature end to his season.

But the 27-year-old has been a key figure for the Hammers during the campaign, netting nine goals and earning a first England call-up.