West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was today trying to sign a deadline day striker but could be without former Liverpool pair Joe Cole and Stewart Downing for the next few weeks through injury.
Cole could be out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury while Downing, who was injured early in the 1-0 home defeat by Stoke following a tackle by Dutch defender Eric Pieters but carried on, could be missing for three weeks with a leg problem.
With Alou Diarra likely to miss the entire season with a knee ligament injury, Allardyce’s squad is already looking a little threadbare but the West Ham manager has ruled out a late flurry of deadline day activity.
The club remain hopeful of signing a striker from abroad on loan with Ricardo Vaz Te leaving, with Crystal Palace the favourites to sign the Portuguese forward.
Italian striker Fabio Quagliarella has been linked with a move to Upton Park but Arsenal have also been rumoured to be interested.
Striker Andy Carroll, who has been recovering from a heel injury could play some part in West Ham’s friendly match away to Espanyol on Thursday. “Andy could be close to being fit by our next game at Southampton,” said Allardyce (above), “but he won’t start.”
Stoke deservedly took all three point with a late goal from a free-kick by substitute Jermaine Pennant and disappointed West Ham defender James Collins admitted: “We never got our of the blocks.
“They came here knowing what sort of game they were going to get from us and they did a job on us. They stopped up passing the ball and trying to get it to our wide men and then they played some good football themselves.”
