Hammers captain returns for FA Cup replay

West Ham skipper Lucas Neill returned from a hamstring injury at Eastlands tonight as the 2005 finalists looked to go beyond the first stage of this season’s FA Cup by beating Manchester City.

Neill was part of a strong Hammers line-up, which also included Lee Bowyer and one-time City target Dean Ashton, given a chance to impress Fabio Capello’s long-time advisor Franco Baldini.

With just two wins from eight games, City’s form has slipped after an encouraging start to the campaign and Sven-Goran Eriksson was looking for a greater goal threat from his team, who were bidding to earn a fourth round trip to Sheffield United.

Man City: Hart, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Hamann, Ireland, Elano, Castillo, Petrov, Vassell.

Subs: Schmeichel, Onuoha, Bianchi, Garrido, Gelson.

West Ham: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg, Bowyer, Noble, Etherington, Boa Morte, Ashton.

Subs: Wright, Cole, Mullins, Spector, Faubert.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)