11 April 2012
A new diagnosis has given West Ham hope that injured Matthew Upson could recover in time to feature in the club's battle to avoid relegation, writes Ken Dyer.
It was initally thought centre-half Upson would need surgery on a small tear in his Achilles tendon, which could have meant the end of his season.
However, a fresh assessment of the damage yesterday was more optimistic.
As a result, West Ham are now considering sending their captain to see top Swedish orthopaedic surgeon Hakan Alfredson, who has also treated Thierry Henry and Thomas Vermaelen.
The 31-year-old, who is out of contract this summer, suffered the injury against Birmingham two weeks ago.
