 Ashton has scored three goals in eight appearances this season |
West Ham striker Dean Ashton has been ruled out of action for up to six weeks with a sprained medial knee ligament. The 23-year old suffered the injury in the latter stages of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.
The injury is a cruel blow for the forward whose previous call-up to the England squad last August saw him pick up an ankle injury in training.
Meanwhile, young Hammers winger Hogan Ephraim has extended his loan at Queens Park Rangers for a third month.
West Ham's head physiotherapist George Cooper said: "We received the results of Dean's scan and they were what we expected which is that he had sprained the upper third of his medial ligament.
"In the majority of cases it will take up to six weeks for full recovery."
However, the Hammers have been boosted by news that striker Craig Bellamy began running again last Friday after an operation on a groin injury.
He will join up with the Wales squad ahead of their own qualifiers against Cyprus and San Marino - although he is set to sit out the first fixture.
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