West Ham and Fulham meet in what has become a crucial match for both sides as they struggle near the bottom of the Premier League.
Team News
West Ham have numerous injury problems, with Andy Carroll, Matthew Taylor, Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid all ruled out of Saturday's encounter. Fulham are missing captain Brede Hangeland, winger Damien Duff and joint top scorer Hugo Rodallega through injury. Martin Jol will also have to contend without full back Sascha Riether, who is serving the final game of his three game suspension for a stamp on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj.
Key Stats
Both sides currently sit on 10 points, with West Ham in 17th place and the Cottagers one spot behind courtesy of a worse goal difference. Fulham currently find themselves on a four game losing streak, while Sam Allardyce's Hammers have only won two matches all season. In the last 6 Premier League encounters between the two teams there has been 22 goals. The last time they met, in January 2013, Fulham ran out 3-1 winners.
Likely Line-Ups
West Ham Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins, Collins, O'Brien, Noble, Diame, Jarvis, Downing, Cole, Morrison. Fulham Stekelenburg, Hughes, Amorebieta, Senderos, Riise, Kasami, Sidwell, Parker, Ruiz, Berbatov, Bent
Match Preview
Victory for either West Ham or Fulham could see them climb as high as 14th in the table. A loss and these two London sides could slide deeper into an unwanted relegation battle. Jol is under increased pressure at the moment, with the takeover of Pakistani-born American tycoon Shahid Khan and the appointment of Rene Meulensteen as a coach only adding fuel to the fire. Allardyce's West Ham are also enduring a recent dip in form, however the Hammer's boss is not under as much scrutiny as his Dutch counterpart. The West Ham board appear to be sympathetic towards their manager as he struggles to generate results without a recognised striker. One shining light for Allardyce has been the emergence of Ravel Morrison. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has three goals in 10 Premier League games this season and has become an outside bet to make England's squad for the World Cup. Fulham's difficulties have come in defence, with new signing Fernando Amorebieta struggling to adapt following his summer move from Athletic Bilbao. Jol will be hoping his side can avoid a fifth straight defeat and move out of the relegation zone. The Dutchman admitted that the board had a right to question his recent results. He said: "If I was on the board or an owner I would be worrying. We need wins." West Ham will also be desperate to record a win as they look to secure their first league victory in five games,since defeating Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart Lane in October. "We're ready for two big games, especially this first one against Fulham," said Allardyce. "None of us expected to be where we are at this stage of the season, but the league table tells the story," he added. Prediction: 2-2 source - bbc football