West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of his top scorer Carlton Cole's injury woes, amid fears the England striker might not play again this season.

Cole came off worse in a nasty clash with Burnley keeper Brian Jensen during his side's 5-3 defeat of the Clarets on Saturday and was confirmed to have suffered knee ligament damage on seeing a specialist in the week.

Should the 26-year-old require surgery, he will likely be out of action for four months, putting his chances of making Fabio Capello's World Cup squad in jeopardy as the Italian has gone on record stating he will only consider fully fit players.

However, should Cole avoid surgery, the Hammers could have their leading marksman back in just six weeks time, which would provide Zola with a massive boast as he looks to guide his side out of the Premier League drop zone.

The Chelsea academy product is set to see another expert this week to determine whether surgery is required, so Zola should know the score so to speak in time for Saturday's visit of champions Manchester United.