Arnautovic substituted with back injury

Marko Arnautovic has been substituted with a back injury during West Ham’s FA Cup match with Birmingham. 

The striker had given his side the lead inside two minutes, but was seen to be holding his back after an aerial collision with a Birmingham defender. 

Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini elected to substitute his star man on 25 minutes, which was a move that didn’t go down well the forward who has just returned from a lay-off that kept him out for the bulk of December. 

Arguing with the Chilean tactician as he made his way down the tunnel, it will come as little surprise to Hammers fans that the Austrian international wanted to try and play through the pain. 

However, the substitution was perhaps a wise move from Pellegrini.