West Ham injury update v Spurs

Its mixed news once again on the injury front for West Ham United as the build-up to Tottenham Hotspur begins in earnest.

Slaven Bilić will definitely be without Manuel Lanzini and James Collins this weekend whilst other reports indicate that Pedro Obiang was omitted from the squad to face Bolton due to a minor muscle strain.

Additionally, decisions over the match fitness of Edimilson Fernandes and the likelihood of Andy Carroll retaining his place after missing the Bolton match as part of his recovery and management schedule will be revealed in the lead-up to the game.

The two main concerns, however, remain the injury to James Collins (ankle) and Manuel Lanzini (knee).

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James Collins sustained an ankle injury last week in the away draw with West Bromwich Albion and had to be replaced shortly after the interval. The injury, reported to be an ankle ligament sprain, occurred towards the end of the first half and although James managed to shrug off the initial discomfort, he had to come off.

A scan followed on the Monday after the match which confirmed the medical team's diagnosis, and James is now reported to be out of action for a short while.

As well as missing some Premier League action with West Ham, James is also now unlikely to be involved in Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign which continues in a fortnight with games against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland.

Ankle ligament sprains are common in football and few players manage to go through their whole career without picking any of these up.

The key to recovery after an ankle ligamentous sprain is in the immediate management of the injury which focusses on restricting the damage done and avoiding any further exacerbation of the injury.

By coming off when he did, James has likely avoided turning what was reported to be a relatively minor to moderate injury into a longer-term problem.

The next few days will be crucial and by the beginning of next week we'll all have a better idea of when he's likely to return once the initial stages of healing have passed.

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The news regarding Manuel Lanzini is less encouraging however, and although both Slaven and Gary Lewin have indicated that the Argentinian is making good progress with his rehabilitation it remains unclear when exactly Manuel is likely to return to the team.

Having sustained a knee injury during the pre-season training period in Germany, Manuel returned to London for treatment and rehabilitation under medical supervision.

He did get back into the team and returned to the West Ham side in the 3 - 0 defeat by Rafa Benítez' Newcastle United in late August but was then reported to have aggravated the injury.

Manuel then travelled to South America to join the Argentine World Cup squad for the qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela but didn't participate; returning instead to London once again to continue his treatment.

Latest reports indicate that Manuel's return is expected to be after the next international break; so already we're talking about him being off for another fortnight at least.

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With Edimilson Fernandes now in the final stages of rehab following his ankle injury and Pedro Obiang also doubtful for the Spurs match with a reported muscle strain, injuries are beginning to affect the selection process once again.

At least Andy Carroll will be on the pitch this weekend; which is a bonus.

Looking further ahead, by the time the Hammers face Swansea at the London Stadium in the final game before the internationals come around again hopefully the situation will have improved.

If all goes well the squad will have stayed clear of any new injuries and those affected by longer-term injuries will that bit nearer to making a return to full fitness.