Pellegrini-Run In Begins Today At Palace-Injured To Return

As we go in to the business end of the season, Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini will be secretly content with what he has achieved so far, despite a catastrophic injury list that almost beggars belief. The 'Charming Man' has had to negotiate the difficult task of taking what was a disparate set of players and moulding them in to a team of believers with a big club mentality.

Being deprived the services of almost an entire starting line up and changing the team ethos has been a difficult task, but one that 'Pelle' has managed to negotiate, and although there is still a long way to go before he is able to select from the group of players he would like access to, things are definitely looking up. The prospect of Manuel Lanzini and Fabian Balbuena linking up with the squad is mouth watering, in addition Andrily Yarmolenko and even Carlos Sanchez along with Winston Reid have begun light training leaving only Jack Wilshire and Sam Byram on the 'not to return this season' list.

Fit again bad boy, the Austrian Sulk' that is Marko Arnautovic, is finally ready to start a match since his ill fated attempt at forcing a lucrative move to the Chinese super league, and Ryan Fredericks has already returned to the match day squad for the Palace fixture, unfortunately it will just a game too soon for Samir Nasri who is expected to be fit for the home game against Fulham next week.

Manuel Pellegrini will be spoilt for choice when all his injured players are available, however as this is West Ham, the club is only one game away from a player sustaining a serious injury so there will need to be a constant flow of replacements available! Joking aside, the amount of injuries sustained must surely be cause for concern, and as Pellegrini is rather meticulous it is fair to say that the medical team will probably be due for a 'fancy a drink' chat with the powers that be as they are shown the door!

Early team news for the match against Palace is encouraging, Hammers Old boys James 'Tonka' Tompkins and Cheik Kouyate are both unavailable however Roy Hodgson will be able to utilise Michy Batshui up front alongside fellow Belgian Christain Benteke. Given the 'bad blood' between West Ham and Batshui, he is a 'shoe in' to score against the club that he has rejected joining on THREE seperate occasions, hopefully 'Arnie' will step up to the plate and show 'shui' what a real striker can do!

The media have rather enjoyed analysing Hammers Jekyl and Hyde inconsistency, they do seem to have missed the point that 'Pelle' has not been able to field the team he wants since before the beginning of the season, his whole plan was to build the team around Manuel Lanzini before the latter's horrific injury sustained while training with Argentina ahead of the World Cup. The whole season has been one of fighting a rear guard action and 'making do', maybe when the some of the key missing players return the media might like to re-appraise! Of course they won't, because there will be another team lined up to be in the cross hairs, Everton more likely than not, they have been the team to receive this month's kicking, it makes a welcome relief. - Ed