The win over Crewe has come at a price, and Peter Grant says:
"That is the disappointing thing because apart from conceding the two goals I thought we put in a good performance.
"We probably dominated 95% of the game on Saturday so to come out with a few injuries, considering how small the squad is - and if you looked at it on Saturday it probably represented players with the least number of games for West Ham - is disappointing.
"It was a massive game for us after the Wigan match, but now we go into the Southend game, with four more injuries and if one of the four make it we will be delighted.
"Anton Ferdinand has a shoulder problem, Hayden Mullins has a back problem, Rufus Brevett has a slight thigh-cum-groin injury, and Matthew Etherington has a slight thigh strain that he felt after the warm-up on Saturday.
"He got through the game but felt stiff afterwards, and if we had kept it to 3-0 at half time at Crewe we might have been able to take Mattie off.
"It is one of these things that if you pull it, it can be weeks and weeks out, and, with the squad being so small, we can't afford to do that."
It could open the door for more youngsters to come in - as Trent McClenahan did on Saturday - and Darren Blewitt was also in the squad that travelled north at the weekend.
"There are quite a few who are going to get a chance now because, in addition to the ones we have talked about, we have got Lomas, Dailly, Melville, Hutchison, and Zamora out - so we are very thin on the ground," says Peter.
"Trent has played in the reserves quite a bit and he always impresses you; he reminds me of Steve Purches at Bournemouth who used to be at West Ham.
"Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I am not so sure because he would always give you a seven out of ten performance.
"You would always think there was more in the locker so Trent, who has now had a taste of it, has to kick on.
"Injuries sometimes give you an opportunity in your career and with Hayden's injury he will probably have that opportunity tomorrow as well.
"We are hoping all those four will be available on Saturday but it is a difficult one to tell on the Monday after the game when you have soreness anyway.
"We have a massive weekend with two games on the bounce but we have to be careful."