West Ham United have been dealt a potential blow as Emerson Palmieri has dropped out of the Italy squad through injury. 

The Lowdown: Premier League break

Following the Hammers' 2-0 defeat against Leicester City, the Premier League has taken a break to accommodate the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

Even though Italy will not be involved in the tournament, Roberto Mancini's side have two international matches coming up over the next few days.

However, it appears that they have been forced to send one of their squad members back to his club due to injury, which could be a worry for West Ham.

The Latest: Blow for Emerson

According to a recent announcement from the Italian FA, both Emerson and Atalanta's Rafael Toloi have had to withdraw from the squad to face Albania and Australia due to individual injury issues.

The West Ham defender was initially included in the squad last Friday, but will now not be involved in the upcoming games.

The Verdict: Potential worry for West Ham

Even though the Hammers will not be back in action until the end of next month, this injury concern with Emerson could still be a worry for the club and David Moyes.

Since arriving at the London Stadium from Chelsea in August, the £95k-per-week defender has made 13 appearances for the Irons across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and one assist.

Having appeared in all but one of West Ham's Europa Conference League games this season, it's safe to say that the 28-year-old is a useful figure for Moyes.

To highlight what he has offered the team on the European stage, only two other West Ham players have made more progressive passes (20) than the full-back.

Everyone at the London Stadium will undoubtedly be hoping that this injury issue is nothing serious and that Emerson will be able to use this period with no club football to recover and get ready for when the season resumes after the World Cup.