Hammers get back down to work

West Ham United's players were back out on the training pitch on Monday after a welcome weekend off.

The Hammers resume their npower Championship promotion challenge with a trip to Coventry City on Saturday, having won three and drawn the other of their previous four matches.

With more than 6,000 fans heading up to the Ricoh Arena to cheer their heroes on, hopes are high that the run can be extended to five.

Sam Allardyce's side sit second in the table, but the manager will not allow his players to rest on their laurels as they embark on the second third of the campaign following the international break.

Big Sam was putting his players through their paces on Monday afternoon, with the welcome sights of both Guy Demel and Joey O'Brien training with the first-team squad and Gary O'Neil joining in for some light work with Ian Hendon's development squad.

After an activation session indoors, the Hammers made their way out on to the pitches under gloomy skies. Thankfully, as our exclusive photographs show, the players were able to keep tabs on each other in the darkness as they were wearing high-visibility bibs.

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Head of sports medicine Andy Rolls chats with manager Sam Allardyce

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Joey O'Brien was a welcome sight out on the training field

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Goalkeeper Peter Kurucz keeps a close eye on proceedings

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Neil McDonald looks on pensively on a cold afternoon

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Julien Faubert and Rob Hall were on opposing sides

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Guy Demel is getting ever closer to a first-team debut

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James Tomkins had his hands full marking Sam Baldock