Richard Ready?

Trevor Brooking says that the next few weeks could provide the answer as to whether Richard Garcia has to make the grade with West Ham.

Richard has, as it were, flirted with first team action this season and, as a contemporary of the likes of Joe Cole from the successful youth team that provided so many first team players, he is the last of those still trying to get a regular game for the Hammers.

Suspensions are hitting the forward line in the next two games, and Trevor says:

"Naturally Conners is okay for Derby; he and Jermain miss the Norwich game but we have Richard Garcia as an obvious one who has been on the bench for the last couple.

"Don Hutchison played for the reserves earlier in the week, will probably play again next week, so he is getting back to match fitness and can play in a striker role, so that is an option and they are the areas we have to look at - and I think that is something Alan will be looking at.

"Richard has been playing quite well in the last two or three reserve games and I have said to him he has done well - as he did at Cardiff in the last 10 minutes or so, when he could have snatched the winner before Jermain did.

"He is waiting for his opportunity so I wouldn't worry too much and, to be fair to him, you need to think about that chance coming to Richard to find out whether he can do it.

"More than anything it is all part of helping Alan when he comes in to make decisions about when and where in the squad you need to tinker - and that is one of those that I am sure he is looking at."

Whether Trevor decides to continue with a forward three in the absence of Jermain Defoe - and therefore starts with Richard - remains to be seen, however.

"If you play with three you put pressure on other areas of the pitch, but we will have to see if Alan employs that system," he says.

Trevor also acknowledges that Neil Mellor goes into the Derby game "on the up" after his brace against Crystal Palace and says:

"As much as you work hard, strikers like to see a few goals to their name; Neil is a great lad, a very willing individual; I remember leaving him out at Crewe, and he didn't quibble.

"You have to give credit to him on Wednesday and the movement was better all round; we had a little session on that earlier in the week and we have to do it in a more sustained spell.

"Without Jermain there tomorrow it was important for him to get off the mark but to be honest we need goals from other areas."

Trevor knows there are some tough tests ahead - West Ham have not even faced any of the top 11 teams away yet, and although Derby are 18th, they lie just one point away from mid-table Preston, whom West Ham beat on the first day of the season.