Andy Carroll suffers fresh injury setback forcing West Ham to move for former Fulham striker Mladen Petric as cover

The England striker has suffered another injury to the same heel that he injured in the final game of last season when making his return to training

Andy Carroll: Liverpool are keen for a quick resolution on striker's move to Upton Park (Getty images)

West Ham have suffered yet another injury blow after striker Andy Carroll limped out of his return to training with a foot injury having just made his comeback from a similar issue.

The Hammers’ record signing said he heard a “pop” in his heel while taking part in training at the club’s Chadwell Heath training ground.

Carroll was sent for a scan on the injury and will undergo specialist treatment in order to heal the problem, which is believed to be a fresh injury to the heel problem he picked up in the final game of last season that has kept him out of the new campaign.

The 24-year-old is needed by both his club and country at present, with West Ham also missing their two other former Liverpool stars Stewart Downing and Joe Cole, while England are missing Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against Ukraine tonight.

The club released a statement to confirm that Carroll, who joined on a permanent £15m deal in the summer after spending last season on-loan with the east London club, had suffered an further setback in his return to competitive football.

“West Ham United can confirm Andy Carroll suffered an injury to his right foot during his return to full training today,” the statement read.

“Although it is in the same part of his foot as his previous injury, it is a new injury and therefore there will be no prognosis until he has seen a specialist.”

Manager Sam Allardyce could look to bring in cover for Carroll – who could be out for as long as the new year – in the form of Mladen Petric who is currently available on a free transfer having left Fulham at the end of last season.

Petric has also turned out for Baden, Basel, Grasshopper, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg, and he scored five times in 23 league appearances for the Cottagers last term, although it was not enough for the club to offer him a new contract.

Talks over an Upton Park return for Carlton Cole had broken down last week after the club felt he had not kept himself in shape since his summer departure, but Allardyce could still bring him back to the club he joined in 2006.

With Carroll ruled out, Allardyce is left with Modibo Maiga and Ricardo Vaz Te to lead the line, although the latter has made it clear that he would like to leave the club having been close to a loan-move to Norwich on transfer deadline day. The club also have young striker Elliott Lee on their books, although the son of the former Hammers and England midfielder Rob Lee has made just one Premier League appearance as a substitute.

Carlton Cole had been close to a West Ham return until talks broke down over his fitness (Getty Images)

Carroll has endured an injury hit stint with his current club since joining them last summer, missing 18 of their 42 matches last season, and his last international appearance came in October 2012, when he came off the bench for the last 18 minutes in the 5-0 demolition over San Marino.