Tuesday 4 November 2014 13:28, UK
West Ham's top striker Diafra Sakho looks set to return against Aston Villa on Saturday after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Sakho has scored seven goals in his first seven games in all competitions for West Ham since joining the club from Metz in the summer.
He picked up the shoulder injury in the Hammers' recent victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and was forced to sit out the 2-2 draw at Stoke over the weekend.
West Ham on Tuesday said he has recovered from the injury and is in line to return to the squad for the Premier League match against Aston Villa at Upton Park.
The 24-year-old scored the crucial second goal when West Ham defeated City 2-1 at home on October 25.
A collision with City goalkeeper Joe Hart led to Sakho being substituted and he was not risked at the Britannia Stadium as Sam Allardyce's side came from two goals down to take a point.
But Stijn Vandenbrouke, West Ham's head of medical and sports science, has revealed Sakho will be back at Upton Park on Saturday - and also confirmed club-record signing Andy Carroll is closing in on a first-team return having been ruled out since a pre-season ankle operation.
"Diafra ran individually on Monday at Chadwell Heath and will be available for the game," Vandenbroucke told the club's official website.
"Andy Carroll trained and played in a behind-closed-doors match last week, which he came through, and will continue to train this week."
Allardyce will be further boosted by the news Winston Reid will also be available to take on out-of-form Villa after the New Zealand international suffered a dead leg at Stoke.
The point against Mark Hughes' side leaves West Ham fifth in the table, level with Arsenal having won half of their opening 10 fixtures.
Sakho made his international debut for Senegal in a friendly in May this year but, because he has not yet played a competitive international for the country of his birth, is still eligible to play for France.
