(Reuters) – West Ham United striker Diafra Sakho needs surgery on his thigh and has been ruled out for three months, the Premier League club said in a statement on Friday.

Sakho, who injured his left thigh during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, has scored five goals for the Hammers in all competitions this season.

The Senegal international returned to first-team action in the loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Nov. 22 after more than a month out with a thigh injury.

“Sakho consulted a specialist on Thursday afternoon to further assess his thigh injury… (and) will undergo surgery on Saturday,” the club said on its website (www.whufc.com).

“The expected rehabilitation time from the operation is expected to be approximately three months.”

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Toby Davis)