Young Trio Travel

Youngsters Grant McCann, Adam Newton, and Richard Garcia are all included in the squad for the Sunderland game at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

West Ham are short on numbers in the absence of hamstring victims Paolo Di Canio, Fredi Kanoute, and Nigel Winterburn, but, as expected, Michael Carrick has overcome a similar problem.

Steve Lomas is missing with a broken toe and Glenn Roeder admits: "If he plays in the first team before the end of January we'll be very lucky.

"I feel very sorry for him; Steffen Freund stood on his foot in his first start in nine months.

"It is desperate luck for him and us and reduces our midfield to four.

"He an abrasive type of midfielder, tough tackling, and a good organiser on the pitch, and it didn't help losing him on Saturday."

Squad: James, Hislop, Andersson, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Minto, Sinclair, Hutchison, Carrick, Cole, Defoe, Kitson, Todorov, Potts, Moncur, Courtois, Garcia, Newton, McCann.