West Ham have ruled Mark Noble out for the rest of the 2016/17 Premier League season with the captain deciding to undergo surgery on Saturday for a "long-standing" abdominal injury.
Noble, 30, has made 30 Premier League appearances for the Hammers this season, but will miss the club's last two games against Liverpool and Burnley.
A statement on West Ham's website read: "Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke confirmed that Noble has been playing with the painful condition for many weeks, but the skipper requested to delay the operation as long as possible."
Vandenbroucke said: "Mark has been playing in pain, but he is the captain and he wanted to do everything he could to ensure the club retained its Premier League status.
"Mark is as brave as they come and he ignored the pain as best he could, but the Premier League takes it toll.
"We attended an appointment with the specialist on the evening before the Tottenham game and it was deemed that the surgery was now urgent, he played in the game and played a big part in our victory that ensured the club's safety."
West Ham beat Tottenham 1-0 at London Stadium last Friday to confirm their top-flight status for another season, and the Hammers - currently 12th - could finish as high as eighth if results go their way in the run-in.
