Avram Grant is confident West Ham will be able to cope without the services of injured striker Robbie Keane.
Hammers striker could be sidelined for a month
Avram Grant is confident West Ham will be able to cope without the services of injured striker Robbie Keane.
The Irishman only arrived at Upton Park on loan from Tottenham at the end of January but quickly made an impact for his new club, scoring on his debut against Blackpool.
However, he suffered a calf problem in last weekend's 1-0 loss to relegation rivals Birmingham and it is now understood he could be out for around a month.
Grant acknowledges that Keane has performed well since signing but is backing the likes of Demba Ba, Freddie Sears and Carlton Cole to fill the void during his absence.
"I must say in a very short time, he has had a big, big impact on the team," the Israeli said.
"He's very positive, his character, he's intelligent in his game, and he's a good player."
Ba has taken longer to settle at West Ham since joining on loan from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim last month but impressed when he replaced Keane last weekend, rattling Ben Foster's bar and causing Birmingham's defence problems throughout his 15-minute cameo.
Grant has had to contend with injuries to other key players this season and he is confident that Ba and the other strikers at his disposal will deliver if called upon at West Brom on Saturday.
Grant said: "If he (Keane) is injured, we need to play with the players we can play. We are used to this situation.
"Demba Ba is almost there. We will see how the situation is."
Pressure
West Ham were celebrating on Friday after learning they had beaten Spurs in the race to move to the Olympic Stadium.
A 13th defeat of the season at The Hawthorns will undoubtedly quash those celebrations and shift much of the media focus back on Grant's future.
Sunday's defeat left the Hammers two points off safety, with tricky games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham on the horizon.
Grant insists he is not worried about his future and claims his side can climb the table.
"You can't tell me where there is no pressure in football," he said.
"You see the pressure at Chelsea, Man United... Everywhere there is pressure.
"In this crazy league this season, two wins takes you forward so you always have hope."
Hitzlsperger
Grant has received a boost this week with the news that Thomas Hitzlsperger came through a game for the reserves following a lengthy lay-off.
He has yet to start a game for West Ham after picking up a serious thigh injury in August, just weeks after signing from Lazio on a free transfer.
And Grant is not tempted to throw the former Aston Villa man into the team immediately just to boost morale.
"If I wanted morale I would put the cheerleaders out," Grant said.
"The situation with Thomas is very dangerous. We want him fit, but we don't want to risk him.
"If it would be even 1% element of risk, we would not risk him."
Da Costa
Manuel da Costa is likely to take his place in the heart of defence against West Brom after getting through last weekend's substitute appearance unscathed.
The Portuguese picked up a serious ankle injury in October and Grant admits his return could not have come at a better time.
"In the last week we missed three or four centre-halves, so it's good that he can play," Grant said.
"He was great earlier in the season. He didn't play in the first few games and then he was our best defender before he was injured."
