West Ham take on Stoke City at home in a confident mood having finally registered a win in five Premier League games.
West Ham registered a 4-1 Boxing Day victory at Portsmouth to ease
the pressure on manager Gianfranco Zola. The Italian was delighted that
Carlton Cole finally came good for the Hammers.
Zola will also be pleased that his injured players Valon Behrami and
Scott Parker were able to get through that game at Fratton Park without
any complication. However Kieron Dyer is not yet match fit and will not
play in this game.
Stoke City were unlucky to lose 1-0 to Manchester United in their last game. Carlos Tevez scored the winner in that game.
Andy Griffin, Salif Diao, Leon Cort and Dave Kitson continue to be
absent from the Stoke line-up, while Andy Wilkinson is suspended for
this game.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park
Date: Sunday, 28 December
Kick-off: 1400 GMT
West Ham: Green, Stech, Neill, Ilunga, Lopez, Parker, Bellamy, Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte, Upson, Noble, Mullins, Spector, Collins, Faubert, Stokes, Walker, Lastuvka, Davenport, Reid, Bowyer, Sears, Di Michele, Collison, Tomkins, Diego Tristan.
Stoke: Sorensen, Shawcross, Sonko, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Delap, Amdy Faye, Whelan, Cresswell, Pugh, Fuller, Pericard, Tonge, Soares, Simonsen, Olofinjana, Davies, Griffin, Diao, Cort, Kitson.
