Date: Sunday, 5 January; Venue: City Ground, Nottingham; Kickoff: 12:00 GMT Championship promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest host Premier League strugglers West Ham United anxious to improve their record against the Londoners at the City Ground. Billy Davies's Reds will not get a better opportunity to put right two wins from the last ten home meetings with the Hammers than on Sunday lunchtime. Sam Allardyce has a defensive crisis on his hands one made all the worse by Johnny Heitinga snubbing a move from Everton. These sides last faced one another on the banks of the Trent early on in West Ham's last promotion campaign of 2011-12. Big Sam and his team are League Cup semi-finalists, but if they are to progress in the other domestic competition then they will have to do it without several key names. Kevin Nolan and Winston Reid were amongst the goals when the Hammers won 4-1 at the City Ground in August 2011. Forest have not beaten the East London outfit home or away since September 2004 and Marlon King's last minute winner. Davies has seen home form improve of late with the Reds earning important victories against QPR and Leeds United over Christmas as part of a seven game unbeaten run. Forest are fifth in the Championship with a four-point cushion on a playoff place and three off automatic promotion. West Ham have slumped to second bottom of the Premier League table after picking up just a couple of points from the last 21 available. Allardyce's side has paid dearly for defensive injuries shipping a dozen goals in their last five outings in all competitions.
Team News
Reds boss Davies will check on the fitness of midfielder David Vaughan and winger Djamel Abdoun after both missed the draw at Reading on New Year's Day. Former Hammer and Forest captain Chris Cohen is a long-term absentee with a torn knee ligament. Dexter Blackstock also remains out, but fellow centre forward Darius Henderson returns from the three-match ban he picked up before Christmas. Winger Jamie Paterson will hope to keep his place. Nathaniel Chalobah may be ineligible depending on the terms of his loan from Chelsea which ends on 15 January. Big Sam is definitely missing seven West Ham regulars for this trip to the East Midlands. Andy Carroll, James Collins, Mark Noble, Reid, James Tomkins and Ricardo Vaz Te are all out injured. Skipper Nolan serves a second suspension in four matches after being sent off in the loss at Fulham last time out. Winger Stewart Downing has returned for the Hammers from Achilles problem, however. There may also be starts for Spanish stopper Adrian, Carlton and Joe Cole, and Matt Jarvis. Young left back Dan Potts may have some involvement because of the crisis at the back. Ravel Morrison is still struggling with a groin problem. Source: NFFC & WHUFC official website.
Likely Line-Ups
Forest: 1 Karl Darlow, 18 Gonzalo Jara, 25 Jack Hobbs, 16 Jamaal Lascelles, 2 Eric Lichaj, 10 Henri Lansbury, 7 Nathaniel Chalobah/24 David Vaughan, 12 Jamie Mackie, 11 Andy Reid, 21 Jamie Paterson/Djamel Abdoun, 9 Darius Henderson/15 Greg Halford 4-2-3-1 West Ham: 13 Adrian, 20 Guy Demel, 17 Joey O'Brien, 3 George McCartney, 8 Razvan Rat, 21 Mohamed Diame, 18 Alou Diarra, 23 Stewart Downing/26 Joe Cole, 10 Jack Collison, 7 Matt Jarvis/14 Matthew Taylor, 11 Modibo Maiga/24 Carlton Cole 4-2-3-1
Jamie Clark is a qualified Web Journalist after undergoing professional training at the University of Sheffield. A prolific and accredited sports writer, he also enjoys classic comedy, historic fiction, 80s music and heritage.
