• Premier League

Carroll primed for West Ham comeback

Andy Carroll is yet to play for West Ham this season © PA Photos

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West Ham have been handed a boost with the news that star striker Andy Carroll could be set to make his long awaited return to training next week.

Carroll, 24, is yet to feature for the Hammers in the Premier League this season after making his loan-deal at the club permanent in the summer - at an initial cost of £15 million. Sent to the Move to Cure centre in Antwerp, Belgium, to aid his recovery, his team-mates have struggled to score goals in his absence with West Ham currently the joint third lowest scorers in the Premier League this season.

In the wake of his absence Allardyce re-signed striker Carlton Cole and also adopted a striker less formation, which seemed a successful after the club recorded an impressive 3-0 win away to Spurs. However the club have failed to win a match since, with Allardyce admitting the club's approach with Carroll will continue to be tentative.

"We don't have any further injuries from last week," Allardyce told the Daily Mail. "Everyone else is okay and getting ready for these two big games.

"We hope Andy will be back with us to start some training next week. It's tentative in our approach to it. We can't get over-anxious and push him too hard. We need to get him fit to stay fit. Performances are okay for a while, but it's always about results.

"We haven't got the results so we have to try and get a massive victory. We haven't capitalised on our good play, scored the goals we needed to secure the three points in games. I'd have thought our victory at Spurs would have kicked us on, but it hasn't happened and we have to believe that we will start converting."

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