Manuel Pellegrini could be without one of West Ham’s star players for next season, with Manuel Lanzini reportedly set to be ruled out for 15 months through injury.

Lanzini was all set to be a part of Argentina’s squad for the World Cup this summer, but with just a week to go until the tournament kicked off he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in training.

That injury ruled out him out of the tournament and reports now claim that the playmaker could miss the next 15 months after the problem was found to be more serious than first thought.

Losing someone of Lanzini’s quality for the whole season would be a huge blow to new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini, with the midfielder establishing himself as a key player for the Irons since joining the club permanently from Al Jazira in July 2016.

The 25-year-old was in good form for West Ham once again last season, scoring five goals in 29 appearances, including a double against Everton on the final day of the campaign, helping the Hammers secure a 13th place finish in the Premier League.

Pellegrini may now be forced to look for replacements for Lanzini, with the Hammers being linked with moves for Jack Wilshere, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lazio’s Felipe Anderson in recent weeks.

The Chilean has already moved quickly to bolster the club’s defence, breaking West Ham’s transfer record for Issa Diop, while also bringing Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and Fulham’s Ryan Fredericks to the London Stadium.