Thursday 22 November 2018 13:49, UK
Manuel Pellegrini says Samir Nasri must prove his fitness if he is be awarded a contract at West Ham.
Nasri is training with the Hammers in a bid to win a six-month, £80,000-per-week contract at the London Stadium.
The former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder is currently banned from football after breaching World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules in 2016, but will be free to play again from January 1.
Nasri underwent a medical with West Ham earlier this month before contract talks stalled due to concerns over his fitness.
However, Pellegrini insists the club is still keen to sign the former France international.
When asked if he expected Nasri to become a West Ham player, Pellegrini said: "We will see. Samir Nasri is working with us after a long ban. We are giving him a hand to return to football.
"I hope that from now until the end of the year he will be fit and if that is the case we will try to keep him here at West Ham."
Pellegrini also confirmed Andy Carroll and Jack Wilshere are in contention to face Manchester City on Saturday.
Carroll is yet to play for the Hammers this season after having ankle surgery in the summer, while Wilshere has missed nearly three months of football after also undergoing ankle surgery in September.
When asked if the pair had made progress, Pellegrini said: "Yes. Both of them worked with the squad this week."
Pellegrini enjoyed three successful years at Manchester City before making way for Pep Guardiola at the end of his contract in 2016.
The Chilean insists he has no ill-feelings about his departure from the Etihad.
"I wasn't disappointed because I knew what would happen," said Pellegrini. "I signed three years with Manchester City and I completed my three years.
"All three years the club improved. We won the Premier League, twice the League Cup and the semi-final of the Champions League.
"I finished my job and I knew from the first day I was there that they wanted to work with Guardiola."
Marko Arnautovic has hinted he could be ready to leave West Ham in January in order to play Champions League football.
However, Pellegrini insists the Austrian is happy in London and is fully focused on the Hammers.
"He is a West Ham player," said Pellegrini. "He has a contract here and is happy here. Every player want to always play at the biggest clubs but he won't be thinking about that.
"He is happy at West Ham and will try to do his best in every game."
