Quartet hope for Hammers return

Valon Behrami, Scott Parker, Matthew Etherington and James Collins and could all be in contention for West Ham’s Boxing Day match against Portsmouth.

Behrami should be over the minor back problem he picked up against Aston Villa, while Parker is expected to recover from a slight muscle problem.

Etherington has recovered from a virus, while Collins is back in contention after recovering from a calf injury – but the Welsh international faces stiff competition to regain his place from Calum Davenport.

Provisional squad: Green, Neill, Davenport, Upson, Ilunga, Collison, Noble, Parker, Behrami, Etherington, Bellamy, Cole, Tristan, Mullins, Bowyer, Lastuvka, Boa Morte, Faubert, Di Michele.