But manager Alan Curbishley is in no doubt the now not-so-big, bottle-blond striker will bounce back again.

Both Curbishley and Ashton were initially convinced the injury that forced the new slim-line front-man off 17 minutes from the end yesterday was no more than cramp - after he pulled up sharply having ballooned a hugely-ambitious long-range free-kick over the crossbar.

But a later inspection revealed a calf problem and Ashton, who finally won his first England cap when Capello picked him for the friendly against Trinidad and Tobago at the end of last season, will have a scan tomorrow to discover the full extent of the damage.

It certainly will not be as bad, though, as the broken ankle that kept him out for the whole of the 2006-7 season after he was hurt while training with Steve McClaren's England squad almost exactly two years ago when on the verge of his senior international breakthrough.

But with Capello declaring that after Wednesday's Wembley date with the Czech Republic "experiments are over" for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers, there can be no doubt Ashton - whose England place goes, ironically, to Wigan's Emile Heskey - has suffered another cruel blow.

Curbishley, though, insists: "He's got so much ability, brings other people into the game and is a very good finisher, so we'll see. If he had been pain-free he would have been available for England but now he's got more hard work to do.

"When I turned up at West Ham 18 months ago, Deano wasn't even training. I've only seen him for the last 12 months but he's worked hard and done all that was asked of him.

"When you look at him, he's a naturally big fellow but now much leaner. People told him he should shed a little weight and maybe the penny has dropped.

"All I can say is we're delighted he's got his first two goals for us this season and hopefully he'll be back getting some more before long.

"With (Craig) Bellamy and (Kieron) Dyer still out the last thing we need is Dean Ashton having another setback."

Despite the new worry, Ashton - who was eased slowly into his comeback by Curbishley last season and responded with an end-of-term goal flourish of five in eight games, remains upbeat. He said: "I was really pleased with my goals - especially to get them so early.

"And the fact that they were the ones that won the match was really nice. Now we'll have to see what happens with the injury."

In the end, though, Curbishley - quoted as bookmakers' joint-favourite to be the first Premier League manager out of a job this season - was indebted to his defence for lifting some of that pressure.

They did so well that Capello, one of those who apparently advised Ashton to trim a few kilos in the summer, has picked centre-half Matthew Upson for his England squad as well as Heskey.

Ashton's lightning strikes came in the fourth and 10th minutes, the first a vicious blast after shrugging off the struggling Paul Scharner's challenge to meet Julien Faubert's cross.

The second was an opportunist flick after Wigan's sloppy defence failed to deal with the Frenchman's left-wing corner.

That looked like burying Wigan but Steve Bruce's battling team survived two more close calls before storming back in the second half, galvanised by Egyptian international loanee Amr Zaki's stunning volley just after half-time from Heskey's header to a long throw by Honduras winger Maynor Figueroa.

It was Wigan's other Honduran, Wilson Palacios, who really caught the eye, however. He forced Hammers keeper Rob Green into the save of the match and, aided and abetted by Ecuador'sAntonio Valencia, tore the home side apart in midfield.

Had the bustling Zaki - top scorer for his country with 27 in 48 games, the best on FIFA's world list - taken two more chances towards the end, Wigan would have had the reward they deserved.

Despite his frustration at the early goals and the failed comeback, Bruce was almost ecstatic about the rich promise in his side - especially Palacios, a player originally recommended to him by Arsene Wenger, who had him on trial at Arsenal but could not find him a place at the Emirates.

Now Palacios, after being on loan with Bruce at both Birmingham and Wigan, has signed a three-year contract despite competition from other clubs.

Bruce said: "It is going to take an awful lot of money to get him away from us now. He's got everything there is for a kid of 22 to be a top player.

"Maybe a lot of people will always call us little, unfashionable Wigan but I know I've got some really good players."