Barclays Premier League
Boleyn Ground
Saturday 1 March
3pm
Referee: Peter Walton
WHUTV - Pre-match press conference
WESTHAM.WAP.COM - All the news, on the move
PHOTO GALLERY - Exclusive training photos
Introduction
West Ham United welcome Chelsea for a high-profile match that has been dedicated to raising money and awareness of the Richard House children's hospice - one of the club's two official charities along with the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research. Richard House, based in Beckton, east London, has helped hundreds of life-limited children and their families with vital care and support.
* After three matches against teams in the relegation zone, tenth-placed West Ham United welcome a Chelsea side sitting in third place and still harbouring ambitions of league, FA Cup and Champions League success despite last weekend's 1-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup final. West Ham United are this season aiming to make it a hat-trick of home wins against teams from the traditional 'big four' after seeing off Manchester United (2-1) and Liverpool (1-0).
* West Ham United have lost their last six meetings with Chelsea, with the last five all coming in the Barclays Premier League. The last victory was the 1-0 home win on 3 May 2003 when Paolo Di Canio struck in the 71st minute. Joe Cole was in the West Ham United lineup that season while Carlton Cole appeared as a 72nd minute substitute for the visitors.
* Speaking to whufc.com about the threat posed by Chelsea, Robert Green said: "They had a big game on Sunday and they have a big [Champions League] game on the Wednesday after our game and you know they won't be looking forward to coming to Upton Park. I don't think anyone ever does really. Between ourselves and the fans we can make it as intimidating as possible and really get stuck into them and make it a double over the west London clubs."
Last match
Fulham 0-1 West Ham United (23 February): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Faubert (Solano 63), Mullins, Noble, Ljungberg, Boa Morte, Cole (Ashton 80).
Subs not used: Wright, Pantsil
Goals: Solano 87
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Chelsea aet (24 February): Cech, Belletti, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Wright-Phillips (Kalou 72), Essien (Ballack 88), Lampard, Mikel (Joe Cole 98), Anelka, Drogba
Subs not used: Cudicini, Alex
Goals: Drogba 39, Berbatov 70 pen, Woodgate 94
Team news
* In addition to the matchday 16 that faced Fulham, Alan Curbishley could have Bobby Zamora and Henri Camara in contention for selection, along with some in-form youngsters from the reserves - namely James Tomkins, Jack Collison and Freddie Sears. The 18-year-old homegrown Hammers fan Sears scored twice and made the other for Dean Ashton in the reserves against Tottenham on Monday.
* Fit-again after a long-term knee injury that has kept him out since 28 August, Zamora has come through three reserve-team games. He scored a hat-trick in getting 90 minutes in the 4-1 win against Birmingham on 12 February before another full run-out a week later in a 2-0 defeat of Fulham. He then played the first 45 minutes in the 3-1 win at Tottenham before picking up a slight knock to his other knee, although he is back in training.
* Faubert made his first start last weekend after four league and cup substitute appearances and will hope to keep his place. Nolberto Solano's goalscoring contribution off the bench could also see him in the frame for a starting berth. Jonathan Spector, John Pantsil and Ashton all got 90 minutes for the reserves on Monday night and will be eager to figure. Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington (both groin) are still out.
* Scott Parker has trained for the last eight days, after his recovery from a knee injury unrelated to the condition he had previously in the season. He is not expected to be back in time for the Tottenham fixture on Sunday week. Kieron Dyer also continues to make progress from his double leg-break. James Collins (cruciate knee ligaments) and Calum Davenport (neck) will not return this season.
* Craig Bellamy had an abdominal strengthening operation a week ago when he was ruled out until April at the earliest. Danny Gabbidon (groin) is also some way off a first-team return as is Nigel Quashie (foot).
* Chelsea are at full strength with no injury complaints. Branislav Ivanovic, the Serbian defender who joined in January from Lokomotiv Moscow, has returned to training after a slight knock.
* The only dilemma for Avram Grant is who to leave out, with Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Salomon Kalou all on the bench last Sunday and the likes of Ashley Cole, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, Florent Malouda, Claudio Pizarro and Andriy Shevchenko all not involved at all.
Background
* After 26 games last season, West Ham United had half the points (20) they have achieved from the same number of matches this campaign (40).
* The club are unbeaten in the last six matches at the Boleyn Ground - a run dating back to 26 December and the 1-1 draw with Reading. That was followed by Manchester United (2-1), Manchester City (0-0), Fulham (2-1), Liverpool (1-0) and Birmingham City (1-1).
* Alan Curbishley's side are in good overall league form, with eight wins and six draws from the last 18 fixtures.
* Victory could take the Hammers up to ninth - depending on Blackburn Rovers' result at Newcastle United. Blackburn are two points ahead with Manchester City and Portsmouth, in eighth and seventh, a further two points in front. The Hammers have a game in hand - next Wednesday's trip to Liverpool - on all three clubs. Tottenham Hotspur, in eleventh, are eight points behind West Ham United.
* West Ham United and Chelsea last met on 1 December 2007 when Joe Cole's 76th-minute winner was all the separated the sides in a 1-0 home victory at Stamford Bridge.
The lineups were:
Chelsea: Cudicini, Belletti, Alex, Terry, Bridge, Sidwell (Wright-Phillips 66), Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Drogba, Joe Cole (Makelele 89)
Subs not used: Hilario, Shevchenko, Ben Haim
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Gabbidon, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Ljungberg 74), Parker (Spector 79), Mullins, Etherington (Ashton 79), Boa Morte, Cole
Subs not used: Wright, Collins
* Last season's meeting at the Boleyn Ground was one of only two defeats suffered by West Ham United in the final nine games of the campaign. On 18 April 2007, Chelsea won 4-1 with Shaun Wright-Phillips scoring twice either side of a Carlos Tevez equaliser. Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba then added two second-half strikes.
* The Hammers have still not lost in all 14 league games this season when they have taken the lead.
* Like Manchester United, West Ham United have conceded only ten goals away from home in the league this season, a mark bettered only by Liverpool (eight) and Chelsea (nine).
* Robert Green has kept eight clean sheets in 26 league games following his latest shut-out against Fulham last weekend.
* Jon Spector turns 22 with the visit of Chelsea. Mark Noble is in line for his 50th game for West Ham United.
* George McCartney is bidding to make his 33rd appearance this season in all competitions.
* McCartney is the only West Ham United player who has featured in every league and cup game to date, starting in each one.
* In terms of the Premier League, only Green and Matthew Upson have played every minute of the 26 matches.
* McCartney, Lucas Neill, Mark Noble and Luis Boa Morte are all no longer on the threat of a one-match ban after four cautions each this season. The 'one-match ban for five cautions' rule was for all yellow cards up to the end of February. However, a player receiving ten cautions before the end of the second Sunday in April will be suspended for two matches, starting seven days after the tenth offence.
* No other top-flight club still has two league ever-presents while Upson, along with Stephen Kelly of Birmingham, is one of only two outfield players in the whole division to have achieved that feat.
* Ashton, with six goals, five in the league, is the club's leading scorer. Frank Lampard has scored the most goals for Chelsea this season with eleven.
* Scott Parker made 28 appearances for Chelsea, with one goal, between January 2004 and June 2005 while Carlton Cole came through the academy at Stamford Bridge before heading east in July 2006 after 32 appearances and eight goals for the Blues.
* Chelsea boast Lampard and Joe Cole, both Academy products, who headed west in June 2001 and August 2003 respectively. Lampard made 187 appearances, scoring 37 goals, while Joe Cole played 149 times, with 13 goals.
* Both teams are in action on Wednesday. West Ham United go to Liverpool for a league match rearranged from the first week of the season while Chelsea are at home against Olympiakos in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. They secured a 0-0 draw in Greece earlier this month.
Head to head (last six meetings - Barclays Premier League unless stated)
1 December 2007 - Chelsea 1-0 West Ham United
18 April 2007 - West Ham United 1-4 Chelsea
18 November 2006 - Chelsea 1-0 West Ham United
9 April 2006 - Chelsea 4-1 West Ham United
2 January 2006 - West Ham United 1-3 Chelsea
27 October 2004 - Chelsea 1-0 West Ham United (League Cup)
Overall record v Chelsea (all competitions): W 36, D 16, L 36
Barclays Premier League fixtures (all 3pm unless stated)
Saturday 1 March
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Birmingham v Tottenham
Derby County v Sunderland
Fulham v Manchester United
Manchester City v Wigan Athletic (5.15pm)
Middlesbrough v Reading
Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers
Sunday 24 February
Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Everton v Portsmouth (4pm)
General information
Tickets: Please note this match is SOLD OUT. For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to the Boleyn Ground, click here
Travel information: The District Line is suspended between Earls Court and Whitechapel due to planned engineering works. Circle Line is suspended throughout in both directions. For more information, click here. For traffic news, click here
Weather: The forecast is for a cloudy afternoon with the temperature is set to peak at around 13C.