There were doubtless sighs of relief at Upton Park last night when Scott Parker was told that he should be fit to play for West Ham United in about three weeks.

The midfield player caused great concern when he limped off with a knee injury at half-time during the 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at home to Arsenal on Saturday, with fears that the injury could keep him out for three months. Parker was playing his first league match for the club since returning from two months out with an injury to the same knee.

A scan has revealed that the damage to the knee was far less serious than feared. Parker has suffered medial ligament damage, which is expected to heal in three to four weeks. He will miss the match away to Aston Villa on Saturday, but he could return for the first game after the international break, against Sunder-land on October 21, but more likely is the match against Portsmouth a week later.

Parker joined the club for £7 million from Newcastle United this summer, but he suffered a knee injury during the tour to Austria in preseason. Hayden Mullins is expected to deputise in midfield alongside Mark Noble.

It is a blow to Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, who will be without Kieron Dyer and Julien Faubert, the midfield players, for most, of if not all, of the season. Nolberto Solano, the midfield player, has not played since he joined from Newcastle on the final day of the transfer window in August.

Curbishley is also without Bobby Zamora, who will be out for a further three weeks after a knee operation, although the club hope that Craig Bellamy will be able to return from a groin injury after the forward missed the past three matches.

“At the start of the season we had Bellamy and Zamora up front and now neither are playing and that is just how it is at the moment,” Curbishley said. “The losses of Faubert, Dyer, Parker and Bellamy are a big blow for us, but players have come in and have got us where we are.”