Carroll in line for West Ham return

Matt Stead

West Ham striker Andy Carroll is set to return to action on Saturday when the Hammers face Southampton at St Mary’s.

The striker has resumed training after just under a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

Carroll has been dogged by injuries since joining West Ham in 2012 and has managed just seven starts in the Premier League this season.

But the 27-year-old is poised to be added to manager Slaven Bilic’s squad for the tea-time clash on the south coast.

“Andy Carroll is back, he’s been training with us since Monday,” said Bilic.

“He had been out on the pitch training for 10 days before that. We are going to see on Thursday and Friday but he should be involved.”

Carroll could be joined at St Mary’s by January signing Emmanuel Emenike, the Nigerian striker brought in on loan from Fenerbahce last weekend.

However, Emenike will train with his new team-mates for the first time on Thursday, having only have arrived in England 24 hours before as he awaited a work permit.

“We will see about him,” added Bilic. “He is going to train with us for the first time. He’s naturally fit, but I would like to see him.”

Defender Angelo Ogbonna could also return to the squad after missing the midweek win over Aston Villa with flu.

Midfielder Manuel Lanzini and striker Diafra Sakho are still recovering from thigh injuries but Bilic expects them back in contention soon.

“They are still out but they will be back in a couple of weeks, maximum, we hope,” he said.