**West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that January signing Pablo is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.**
The 22-year-old was not in the matchday squad for the 1-1 draw against Manchester United midweek, and asked for an update on his fitness, Nuno replied:
“He (Pablo) is injured, unfortunately. He is going to be out for a while. We don’t know exactly how long, but yeah, he’s injured. It’s a big blow for us.”
Nuno’s confirmation that Pablo is unlikely to return to action any time soon will certainly damage the club’s hopes of avoiding relegation. The Hammers spent €25m (£22m) to recruit the forward from Gil Vicente at the start of last month. While he has not scored or provided an assist in his first 6 games so far, his work rate had [**contibuted to the club’s upturn**](https://hammersheadlines.com/west-ham-transfer-news-taty-castellanos-pablo-neville/) in form.
How will West Ham replace him?
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The Irons have done pretty well without Pablo in the last two games. Callum Wilson started ahead of him against Burnley at Turf Moor and Nuno’s men secured a 2-0 win.
A slightly more defensive approach was deployed versus Manchester United, with Tomas Soucek playing behind Taty Castellanos. That proved a successful tactic as well, with Soucek opening the scoring.
How many games could Pablo miss?
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As Nuno says, the medical staff have yet to provide a timeframe for the Portuguese striker’s return. He won’t be involved against Burton Albion, while you can’t see him playing in the final two league fixtures this month against Bournemouth or Liverpool either.
Beyond that, it is hard to tell for certain. A lot could depend on how well Pablo responds to treatment and how quickly his body can recover. For now, West Ham will have to make do without him.
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