Friday 7 August 2015 17:46, UK
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic expects England striker Andy Carroll to be available for selection before the end of the month.
Carroll, West Ham’s record signing, has not featured since February and has made just 27 first-team appearances since arriving from Liverpool for £15m in May 2013.
The news will come as welcome relief for Bilic, who already has a significant selection headache ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture at Arsenal.
The Croat has just two experienced strikers available for the game, Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate, with both Carroll and fellow-forward Enner Valencia sidelined through injury.
"Our aim is to be mid-table, to be as high as possible; we will give everything we can - let's say if we finish top 10 that is major success"
Bilic is hopeful that Carroll, who has been out with a long-term knee problem, could be back before the end of the month in time to face his former club Liverpool on August 29.
"Andy Carroll is doing really well," said Bilic. "He will be joining the squad in terms of training with the team very soon.
"It is easy to predict (when he will be fit) but it is also hard - I ask the simple questions to our medical department but it is hard for them.
"He has been working for a few weeks but last week he was doing individual stuff without any problems so now the injury is gone. We just have to bring him in slowly, but as soon as possible to gain fitness.
"It should be, the target the medical department told me, Liverpool or Newcastle which is the fourth or fifth game of the season."
Bilic is still looking to reinforce his squad and expects to secure the loan signing of Raul Jimenez from Atletico Madrid this week, subject to a pending work permit.
"We are close but it is not done," he said. "Hopefully it is going to be done today or tomorrow but he will not make the squad for Sunday, no way. But it would be good for us to get the player as soon as possible. That would be it done. Then I would be happy."
Bilic also played down any talk of challenging for Europe this season, and stressed that the club’s expectations must remain realistic.
"I would like us to play good football, to win games," he said. "It's easy to say now before the first game.
"Our aim is to be mid-table, to be as high as possible; we will give everything we can - let's say if we finish top 10 that is major success."
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