West Ham's preparation for their most important match of the season, at home to Blackburn on Saturday, could be seriously hampered by yet another injury crisis.
With midfielders Gary O'Neil and Mark Noble already ruled out of the relegation run-in, they have fresh fitness doubts over central defenders Matthew Upson and James Tomkins while Scott Parker is not yet rated a certainty to return.
Upson was being assessed today by the club's medical staff after going off in the first half of Sunday's defeat at Manchester City with a thigh injury while England Under-21 international Tomkins hurt his knee late in the game.
Both are rated as no more than 50-50 for the match against fellow relegation candidates Blackburn while Parker's eagerly anticipated return has not yet been confirmed.
Parker, who is due next week to collect his Footballer of the Year Award from the Football Writers' Association, has missed the last three matches with an Achilles tendon injury and was still not back in full training today.
Manager Avram Grant will be desperate to ensure his talismanic player is ready to return against Blackburn.
West Ham remain at the bottom of the Premier League with 32 points after a run of five successive defeats.
Grant believes seven points would ensure West Ham's survival but it is possible his struggling team may need, not only to beat Blackburn, but also their two final matches, away to Wigan and at home to Sunderland.
