Upson sidelined for around three weeks

Alan Curbishley has been boosted by the news that Matthew Upson's calf injury is not as serious as originally feared.

The 27-year-old defender lasted just 28 minutes of his Hammers debut at Aston Villa on Saturday and there was concern that he might be facing a lengthy lay-off after early indications suggested a bad muscle tear.

However, a scan of the injury has revealed only a small tear and Matthew is expected to be sidelined for no longer than three weeks.

Head Physiotherapist Steve Allen says: "Matthew underwent an MRI scan on Sunday that revealed a small tear in his gastrocnemius muscle, and the estimated recovery period is around three weeks.

"However, he has responded well to initial treatment and the injury is looking much better this morning, so we are hopeful that he might even be back sooner."

Meanwhile, there was further good news as it was revealed that Lucas Neill is progressing well in his recovery from an ankle injury, while Anton Ferdinand is back in full training this week and Lee Bowyer is also still on schedule to make a return in the coming weeks.