Gianfranco Zola still has no idea when Dean Ashton will be fit enough to return to West Ham's first-team.
Hammers boss unsure when striker will return
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola still has no idea when Dean Ashton will be fit enough to return to his first-team plans.
The striker has seen question marks raised over his career due to an ankle injury which has kept him out of action since September last year.
Former Norwich ace Ashton initially broke his left ankle in 2006 before suffering a problem in the same area and is still training on his own with personal coach John Green away from Zola's squad.
No comeback date has been set for the £7.25million signing and Zola admitted the situation surrounding the 25-year-old is worrying.
Serious
"The problem he had was quite serious, it was more serious than anybody thought," Zola said. "It has been one year and obviously I am getting concerned about it.
"I can't say 'I'll give you three months', I can't force his progress along. But I do respect his willingness to come back and I am going to be supportive to him, not the one who is pushing him."
There have been rumours that Ashton has considered retirement, but Zola added: "We have not discussed that at all and anyway he knows I trust him and whatever he does I have been trying to help and will keep trying to help him."
Ashton suffered his initial injury while on England duty and was out for a year, before coming back and earning a place in Fabio Capello's squad after 11 goals in the 2008 season.
After suffering his setback he missed the rest of the 2008/09 campaign, which was frustrating for Zola in his rookie season as a Premier League manager.
Hopes
"He is one of the players that I have had a lot of hopes for," he said. "I have been waiting one year and I have not had him.
"According to everyone, including myself, he was one of the best players of the team. He made my job much more difficult.
"I am very sorry for the boy and I imagine what he is going through and that he is suffering a lot. All my thoughts are with him. I wish that he will find his way forward as soon as possible."
Training on his own means Ashton has had limited contact with his striker.
"I have not interacted with him very much because he has been out," Zola said. "He knows that I want him very much and he is one of the players that if I had him on the pitch our performances would have been better."
