West Ham have confirmed striker Dean Ashton will not return to action until next season after undergoing further minor surgery on his injured ankle.

The 23-year-old had an operation on Monday to remove an area of scar tissue emanating from the broken ankle he suffered while training with the England squad in August.

"It will be six weeks before he is back running, and we felt that the timing was right, in order for Dean to make a fresh start with the rest of his team-mates when the squad returns for pre-season training in the summer," head physiotherapist Steve Allen explained.

"We look forward to seeing him back to full fitness then."