Valon Behrami is back in training and eager to play his part once again for West Ham United and help the team get back on track this Saturday.
The 23-year-old midfielder has made an instant impact this season after arriving in a £5m transfer from Lazio. He started the first nine Barclays Premier League games but has missed out on the last two with a calf injury suffered away to Manchester United at the end of October. It has meant a watching brief of late, not something that comes easily to the Swiss international.
"It has been very hard to watch the last games and not play because I want to help my team," he said. "It is tough to be out and to have to watch when you can't do anything for the team. It was very hard. It is much harder when the situation is like it is rather than when the team are getting the results."
Having been put through his paces with an intense personal programme, Behrami will hope to earn a recall by Gianfranco Zola for the weekend visit of Portsmouth. "We are looking forward to the game and we will give everything to get the victory on Saturday." The manager has plenty of options with the likes of James Tomkins and Calum Davenport in full training, plus Carlton Cole back from suspension.