Premiership: Kanoute could miss out

Frederic Kanoute could be the sacrificial lamb for West Ham at Bradford as Harry Redknapp protects the Hammers' FA Cup hopes.

The Londoners' French striker may be left out at Valley Parade to avoid the yellow card that would cost him a place in the quarter-final clash with Tottenham.

Kanoute, who scored the winner in last Saturday's fifth round clash at Sunderland, is just one booking away from suspension.

Veteran Croatian striker Davor Suker, former Liverpool man Titi Camara and Svetoslav Todorov, the Bulgarian international recently signed for £500,000, are waiting to come in.

Meanwhile, Croatian defender Igor Stimac reckons the only thing separating West Ham's league form from their cup exploits is a bit of good fortune.

Despite reaching the last eight of the FA Cup, the Hammers have won just once in their last 10 Premiership matches and Stimac, who returned after injury at the Stadium of Light, said: "I don't think there is a difference in the performances, but we are just getting a bit more luck in the cup games than the league games.

"If we hadn't conceded a goal in the last minute against Coventry everything would be different. I think we will finish in the top half of the table but we need a few wins."