Jarrod Bowen is set to miss the second leg of West Ham’s Europa League tie with Bayer Leverkusen.
Bowen did not travel to Germany for the first leg last week, where the Hammers were beaten 2-0, and also missed the defeat by Fulham on Sunday.
Mail Sport understands Bowen will not be fit for the second leg at the London Stadium, with the forward needing more time to recover from the back injury he sustained at Wolves.
It comes as a blow to boss David Moyes, who will also be without Lucas Paqueta and Emerson through suspension.
Bowen, who is West Ham’s top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions, is expected to make a return before the end of the season but will not be rushed back.
Moyes said last week that he did not have a timescale on when Bowen, who picked up the injury against Wolves, would be back.
‘We think when he got the knee [into his back], he’s twisted and he’s probably damaged a little bit of something.
‘They [the doctors] were trying to use the description of what the fast bowlers get when they bowl the ball fast, the rotation. We think that’s where the damage has come.’
West Ham will also be without youngster George Earthy, who suffered a head injury in the defeat by Fulham.
Earthy was taken to hospital but discharged and will now follow FA and Premier League concussion guidelines ahead of his return to play.