West Ham United midfielder Kieron Dyer has, on first reports, suffered a broken leg early into their Carling Cup round 2 match at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.

Dyer, who came to Upton Park from Newcastle United earlier this month, was in lot of pain immediately after a challenge from a Rovers player in the sixth minute that is believed to have suffered a double fracture of his right leg.

The 28-year-old England international was carried off on a stretcher with boss Alan Curbishley sending on Mark Noble as a replacement.

The Hammers had earlier in the summer suffered a jolt as new signing Julien Faubert ruptured Achilles tendon during a pre-season friendly on 17 July against Czech side Sigma Olomouc, which is expected to take six months to heal.

Dyer was then looked at a possible replacement and as misfortune has it, the Hammers are now set to be without the Ipswich-born player for some months.