West Ham face £17m injury blow as Tottenham and Sunderland tests loom | OneFootball

West Ham United could be without Konstantinos Mavropanos for upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland after the defender suffered a head injury in the FA Cup at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

According to Sunderland Echo, Nuno Espírito Santo saw one of his preferred centre-backs taken off midway through the first half after a heavy collision in the QPR penalty area.

The 28-year-old had started recent league games against Wolves and Nottingham Forest and was again selected at Loftus Road as part of a back three with Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo. He appeared to collide with a QPR defender’s knee while contesting a corner.

Play was halted for several minutes while medics treated the Greece international, who left the pitch on a stretcher and was taken away on a buggy to applause from both sets of supporters. The extent of the injury has not yet been confirmed.

Concussion protocols mean he is likely to face a mandatory spell out. That would rule him out of West Ham’s trip to Tottenham next weekend and places his availability in doubt for Sunderland’s visit to the London Stadium on 24 January.

Any absence would be a setback for Nuno, who has leaned on a three-centre-back system, with West Ham conceding 43 league goals this season. Mavropanos also missed October and November fixtures against Leeds United, Newcastle United, Burnley and AFC Bournemouth.

Signed from VfB Stuttgart in 2023 for a reported £17m, he has since made 83 appearances for West Ham.

Source: Sunderland Echo