Mauro Zarate has vowed to return “stronger than before” after revealing the seriousness of the knee injury he sustained in yesterday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

The Argentine midfielder had made an impressive start to yesterday’s game when he sustained the injury shortly before half-time.

The initial signs were not good as the 29-year-old required around eight minutes of treatment before he was stretchered from the field wearing an oxygen mask.

In a post on his Instagram page this afternoon, Zarate has revealed he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and also damaged the medial ligament, which is set ro rule him out for at least the rest of this season.

The January signing from Fiorentina wrote: “Thank you everyone for your messages in this horrible moment. With sadness I inform you that the result show the following: anterior cruciate ligament rupture plus an injury grade one of medial collateral ligament.

“I will face this with all my strength and will be back stronger than before.”

Zarate joined the Hornets to boost their creative options going forward after Walter Mazzarri's men also lost Roberto Pereyra to a serious knee injury.