West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne is determined to return from injury against Man Utd this weekend.
West Ham striker targets Man Utd return
West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne is determined to return from injury against Manchester United this weekend.
Piquionne sustained a foot problem during the FA Cup defeat to Stoke earlier this month and sat out the goalless draw at Tottenham.
However, he has not had to miss any more games due to the international break and hopes to put himself in contention for Saturday's clash with the Red Devils.
Having stepped up his recovery sessions in the gym, Piquionne is pleased with the improvement in his condition.
"I am recovering well," said the 32-year-old. "The physio and I are hoping this week I can train with the first team.
"My right toes were injured, it was really painful. It was a shame because I started the Stoke game slowly, but I was able to score.
"I needed to come off and it was a shame for the rest of the game. I think I could have scored again and we might have won the game."
Piquionne hopes to hit the ground running after an extended break, saying: "It has been good for me.
"I have two weeks to come back. I have extra time to prepare for the big game against Man Utd and I hope I can be back."
Confident
A four-game unbeaten run has seen Avram Grant's men climb out of the bottom three and Piquionne is confident the Hammers can pick up what would be a morale-boosting third straight home win against Manchester United.
"It is time to take points now because there are just eight games until the end of the season. We need to stay in the Premier League," he told
West Ham TV.
"Confidence is high. In the Premier League we have had some good results against Stoke and Liverpool at home and we need to keep this confidence against Manchester United. Maybe we can win the game.
"The supporters are very good and we need them for the rest of the season. I hope we stay in the Premier League and the team will do the maximum for that.
"For that I need to stay cool to help my team and I need to train hard to get back into the team."
