By . David Kent . Andy Carroll has taken an understandably glum-looking selfie in hospital. The striker took to Instagram to post a snap of himself just as he prepared to go in for ankle surgery. And you can understand the look on his face, after several injury-ravaged seasons with Liverpool and West Ham, Carroll was finally hoping for a clean bill of health as he finally looked to fulfill the promise he showed following his breakthrough at Newcastle.VIDEO Scroll down to see behind the scenes of West Ham's new kit unveiling . Glum: Andy Carroll's pre-operation selfie from hospital . Blow: Andy Carroll is reportedly out for four months after tearing ligaments in his ankle . SEPTEMBER 2012Misses a month after straining a hamstring against FulhamDECEMBER 2012Twists his knee against Man Utd and is out for two monthsMAY 2013Falls awkwardly and damages his heel against Reading and is out for seven months . But, once again, it wasn't to be, as an ankle injury on a tour of New Zealand ruled him out for up to four months. It is then expected that he will not . return to action until December at the earliest, missing the crucial . start of West Ham's campaign. The . England international was unable to play last season until January after . injuring his left heel and made only 16 appearances. That . injury had completely healed and he was gearing up for the start of the . new campaign by heading out to New Zealand for the club's pre-season . tour when this fresh injury struck in training. It is understood to be . completely unrelated to the one he sustained 14 months ago. In . the last game of the 2012/13 season he ruptured the lateral plantar . fascia – the tendons that run through the arch of the foot, connecting . the heel to the toes – in his right foot leaping for a ball against . Reading. When he was thought to be on the mend, the medial one went and he was out for almost six months of the last campaign. Having . been on loan at the club from Liverpool for one season, West Ham . pressed ahead to make the transfer permanent last summer in what Sam . Allardyce described as a 'calculated risk.' Missing: Carroll had to withdrawn from West Ham's pre-season tour in New Zealand . Out: Carroll was originally expected to recover from the injury before the start of next season . The . West Ham manager was initially told that Carroll, who has won nine caps . for England, would only be out until September but he ended up missing . the entire first half of the season. This . was despite owner David Sullivan seeking out a top specialist, Lieven . Maesschalck, and he spent time with the physiotherapist in Belgium to . help his recovery. It will be hugely frustrating for Allardyce that he will have to start a second successive season without his star striker. Carroll . has scored just two goals since he became their record signing and, on . around £80,000 per week, their highest-paid player. He has so far cost . them £1million per Premier League game. Fans . will be hoping that this is the last of his injury problems, with his . contract set to run for another five years until 2019.
Carroll takes to Instagram to post selfie ahead of ankle surgery .
West Ham star expected to be out for up to four months .
The forward has had an injury-ravaged spell since moving from Liverpool .
By . David Kent . Andy Carroll has taken an understandably glum-looking selfie in hospital. The striker took to Instagram to post a snap of himself just as he prepared to go in for ankle surgery. And you can understand the look on his face, after several injury-ravaged seasons with Liverpool and West Ham, Carroll was finally hoping for a clean bill of health as he finally looked to fulfill the promise he showed following his breakthrough at Newcastle.VIDEO Scroll down to see behind the scenes of West Ham's new kit unveiling . Glum: Andy Carroll's pre-operation selfie from hospital . Blow: Andy Carroll is reportedly out for four months after tearing ligaments in his ankle . SEPTEMBER 2012Misses a month after straining a hamstring against FulhamDECEMBER 2012Twists his knee against Man Utd and is out for two monthsMAY 2013Falls awkwardly and damages his heel against Reading and is out for seven months . But, once again, it wasn't to be, as an ankle injury on a tour of New Zealand ruled him out for up to four months. It is then expected that he will not . return to action until December at the earliest, missing the crucial . start of West Ham's campaign. The . England international was unable to play last season until January after . injuring his left heel and made only 16 appearances. That . injury had completely healed and he was gearing up for the start of the . new campaign by heading out to New Zealand for the club's pre-season . tour when this fresh injury struck in training. It is understood to be . completely unrelated to the one he sustained 14 months ago. In . the last game of the 2012/13 season he ruptured the lateral plantar . fascia – the tendons that run through the arch of the foot, connecting . the heel to the toes – in his right foot leaping for a ball against . Reading. When he was thought to be on the mend, the medial one went and he was out for almost six months of the last campaign. Having . been on loan at the club from Liverpool for one season, West Ham . pressed ahead to make the transfer permanent last summer in what Sam . Allardyce described as a 'calculated risk.' Missing: Carroll had to withdrawn from West Ham's pre-season tour in New Zealand . Out: Carroll was originally expected to recover from the injury before the start of next season . The . West Ham manager was initially told that Carroll, who has won nine caps . for England, would only be out until September but he ended up missing . the entire first half of the season. This . was despite owner David Sullivan seeking out a top specialist, Lieven . Maesschalck, and he spent time with the physiotherapist in Belgium to . help his recovery. It will be hugely frustrating for Allardyce that he will have to start a second successive season without his star striker. Carroll . has scored just two goals since he became their record signing and, on . around £80,000 per week, their highest-paid player. He has so far cost . them £1million per Premier League game. Fans . will be hoping that this is the last of his injury problems, with his . contract set to run for another five years until 2019.
The striker took to Instagram to post a snap of Liverpool and West Ham, Carroll was finally wasn't to be, as an ankle injury on a tour of New Zealand ruled him out for up to four months. It originally expected to recover from the injury