West Ham United 0-0 Blackburn Rovers | Premier League match report

The main reason West Ham remain one point above the relegation zone is that they are blunter than a bad diplomat. Gianfranco Zola’s team offer plenty of elegant interplay but their lack of a cutting edge means they seldom score enough goals to win matches. In an effort to sharpen his side and ensure their survival, the manager has turned to an inconsistent 32-year-old, Benni McCarthy.

West Ham and Blackburn have agreed a transfer – whether it is a full-time move, as all parties want, or a loan depends on the type of work permit the Home Office issues. That will be made known today. Either way, next weekend Zola expects to deploy the South African alongside his top scorer, Carlton Cole, who, after two substitute appearances in the last week following a two-month absence for knee surgery, should be fit to start.

The West Ham manager believes the pair could be deadly, even suggesting they could be comparable to the Dwight Yorke-Andy Cole double-act that was once so successful for Manchester United. “There are similarities [to Yorke and Cole],” said Zola. “Carlton is strong and skilful and Benni is smart and skilful, so it will be a good combination. Sometimes it doesn’t take much time for partners to gel. I’ve seen partnerships develop straight away, where it just clicks, and I don’t think it will take them long. They will be a big asset for us.”

Next week West Ham play Burnley, who coincidentally were their opponents the last time Cole started a match, on 28 November. West Ham scored five goals that day, which is all they have mustered in the nine league games since. Against Blackburn the England striker came on in the second half and, in the 84th minute, had an opportunity to score what would probably have been the winning goal, only to wince in frustration as he misread the intention of Scott Parker, who, after skipping past two defenders, teed up a tap-in by rolling the ball across the face of goal. “I pulled back for him to play it into me and he’s gone across goal and it was gaping,” said Cole. “I felt reallybad that I wasn’t there.” Henceforth Cole will not be the only West Ham player trying to get on the end of passes in the box. “Benni will take a lot of pressure off Carlton for goals,” Zola said. “It will give him an opportunity to be more relaxed. Also, the opposition will no longer have to look after only one player but two.”

Blackburn could also have done with an in-form McCarthy at Upton Park, where Gaël Givet had a shot cleared off the line – by Cole, who at least proved decisive at one end of the pitch – and Jason Roberts failed to beat Rob Green after creating space for a shot 15 yards out. But McCarthy has rarely been on form for Blackburn over the last two years and he has not found favour with Sam Allardyce, who has suggested that he is a fading force. “West Ham are getting a hugely talented player but the overall situation is he’s not getting any younger so the legs aren’t quite as good,” said Allardyce. “If you can get other players around him to do the work, then he’ll use his talent to get chances and score you goals.” That is all West Ham want for now.

Premier LeagueWest Ham UnitedBlackburn RoversPaul Doyleguardian.co.uk

Premier League team news: Defensive headache for Manchester United

• Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand doubtful for Manchester United
• Boaz Myhill injury adds to Hull’s problems

Birmingham City v Manchester City
Mark Hughes expects Kolo Touré and Martin Petrov to be back in the squad for Sunday’s trip to Birmingham City, having missed the midweek Carling Cup win over Scunthorpe with minor injuries.

Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy, both rested to the bench for that fourth round tie, are also likely to be back in the side. Hughes has virtually a fully fit squad to chose from, with only Nedum Onuoha and Robinho still recovering from injuries. Both are close to returning.

Man City (from): Given, Richard, Zabaleta, Lescott, Touré, Bridge, Kompany, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Bellamy, De Jong, Barry, Sylvinho, Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Tevez, Taylor, Weiss, Johnson.

Burnley v Hull City
Owen Coyle will give goalkeeper Brian Jensen “every chance” to recover from the injury he sustained in last weekend’s home defeat to Wigan Athletic.

X-rays revealed that Jensen, who has yet to resume full training, had suffered only slight ligament damage to his ankle so Diego Penny is on stand-by for tomorrow’s meeting with Hull should he be needed. Stephen Jordan suffered a thigh strain in the same game but is expected to recover in time.

Burnley are still without long-term absentees Martin Paterson, Chris McCann (both knee) and Jay Rodriguez (ankle).

Troubled Hull will be without their goalkeeper Boaz Myhill tomorrow. The Wales international injured his medial knee ligaments in the closing stages of last weekend’s goalless draw with Portsmouth and will sit out the match, though the under-pressure manager Phil Brown is hopeful he will not prove a long-term absentee.

The midfielder Jimmy Bullard did not train with his team-mates yesterday due to a shin injury and a decision is still to be made on his participation at Turf Moor.

Burnley (from): Jensen, Caldwell, Mears, Eckersley, Duff, Carlisle, Bikey, Jordan, Alexander, Fletcher, Elliott, Blake, Thompson, Eagles, Penny, Kalvanes, Gudjonsson, Edgar, Easton, Nugent, Guerrero.

Hull City (from): Warner, Duke, McShane, Kilbane, Sonko, Dawson, Barmby, Marney, Zayatte, Geovanni, Hunt, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Ghilas, Mendy, Altidore, Bullard, Gardner, Mouyokolo, Olofinjana, Cousin, Halmosi, Boateng, Fagan, Garcia, Cooper, Atkinson, Featherstone.

Everton v Aston Villa
The Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel could make his 200th successive Premier League performance tomorrow. Friedel is likely to replace Brad Guzan even though his fellow American made three penalty shoot-out saves in the midweek Carling Cup win over Sunderland.

Stephen Warnock is battling to overcome an ankle injury suffered at the Stadium of Light and Nicky Shorey could deputise if he is ruled out.

The striker Emile Heskey and the midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker picked up knocks but Villa manager Martin O’Neill is hopeful of having them available. John Carew and Steve Sidwell, who made way for the pair at Sunderland, will be in contention for a recall to the starting line-up.

Aston Villa (from) Friedel, Guzan, Cuellar, Beye, Luke Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Shorey, Milner, Petrov, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Delph, Gardner, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew, Heskey, Delfouneso, Clark.

Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has defensive problems ahead of the match against Blackburn at Old Trafford tomorrow. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are both doubtful with calf problems and Gary Neville is suspended.

Ryan Giggs also has a knock and Danny Welbeck, who scored in the Carling Cup victory against Barnsley in midweek, is sidelined with a knee injury.

Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park remain absent with groin and knee injuries respectively.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, O’Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Brown, J Evans, Evra, Anderson, Rafael, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Giggs, Rooney, Barbatov, Nani, Owen, Macheda, Obertan, Fabio, Tosic.

Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth welcome back Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jamie O’Hara, Mike Williamson and Tommy Smith tomorrow. The four were cup-tied for Tuesday’s Carling Cup win over Stoke City.

Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) and Hermann Hreidarsson (foot tendon) are still recovering and will not feature against the Latics.

Wigan will be without Maynor Figueroa as the Honduran full-back recovers from a knee injury. He is expected to be sidelined for up to seven weeks after suffering the setback in the victory against Burnley.

Paul Scharner is doubtful with a hamstring injury while the goalkeeper Chris Kirkland remains troubled by a dislocated finger.

Portsmouth (from): James, Kaboul, Mokoena, Mullins, Kanu, Basinas, Belhadj, Vanden Borre, Piquionne, Ben-Haim, Yebda, Dindane, Finnan, Webber, Brown, Wilson, Ashdown, O’Hara, Boateng, Williamson, Smith.

Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Bramble, Scharner, Gomez, Melchiot, Boyce, N’Zogbia, Diame, Thomas, Scotland, Rodallega, Koumas, Sinclair, Pollitt, Cho, Kapo, Kingson, McCarthy.

Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is expected to recall his goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to the line-up following the Dane’s late withdrawal at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend with flu.

Steve Simonsen stepped in and performed heroics to secure a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane, and was again in the side that lost 4-0 at Portsmouth in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

Pulis also has to decide whether to bring Mamady Sidibe into the reckoning after the striker’s return to action at Fratton Park following a knee injury. Tuncay also performed well at Portsmouth and could force his way into a side still missing the suspended Robert Huth.

Wolves welcome back the striker Stefan Maierhofer after the Austrian served a one-match ban. However, the manager Mick McCarthy is poised to name an unchanged starting line-up, with Maierhofer on the bench as Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake continue in attack.

The on-loan Chelsea central defender Michael Mancienne is available again after missing the last two games through illness.

Stoke City (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Delap, Whelan, Whitehead, Diao, Etherington, Beattie, Tuncay, Fuller, Higginbotham, Cort, Lawrence, Kitson, Pugh, Simonsen, Sidibe.

Wolves (from): Hennessey, Hahnemann, Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Mancienne, Craddock, Elokobi, Hill, Kightly, Halford, Henry, Milijas, Surman, Castillo, Edwards, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Iwelumo, Keogh, Maierhofer, Doyle.

Sunderland v West Ham United
Sunderland striker Darren Bent is facing a race to be fit tomorrow as he battles to overcome a knee problem.

The forward missed Tuesday’s Carling Cup penalty shoot-out defeat by Aston Villa but is rated as better than 50-50 for the Hammers clash, after returning to training yesterday.

Fellow striker Fraizer Campbell is a doubt after suffering a knock against Villa, while Phil Bardsley (shoulder) and George McCartney (hip) are also touch-and-go. Midfielder Bolo Zenden and centre-back John Mensah are ruled out. Lee Cattermole is a long-term absentee with knee ligament damage.

Sunderland (from): Gordon, Fulop, Bardsley, Da Silva, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Turner, Richardson, McCartney, Reid, Malbranque, Cana, Henderson, Campbell, Jones, Bent, Healy, Murphy.

Premier LeagueManchester UnitedBlackburn RoversHull CityBurnleyEvertonAston VillaPortsmouthWigan AthleticStoke CityWolverhampton WanderersSunderlandWest Ham Unitedguardian.co.uk

Premier League: Weekend round-up

A round up of the best pictures from this weekend’s Premier League action