Sam Allardyce had better news to report on the injury front as he looked ahead to Blackpool after the recent blows of losing Robert Green and David Bentley.
While Green is due back in around a month and Bentley is out for the season, the manager said Matt Taylor and Mark Noble could be in contention to face Ian Holloway's men in the Kids for a Quid fixture on Saturday. Naturally, questioning also centred on the Olympic Stadium and Carlos Tevez, while there was also the chance to look ahead to a busy run of games.
After this weekend, the Hammers go to Southampton on Tuesday and then Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday week. With all three opponents having made solid starts, Allardyce knows that the coming days will tell him a lot about his team's prospects.
What's the team news for Saturday?
SA: The international players John Carew and Henri Lansbury are back OK with no injuries. We have to look at the fatigue levels. Henri played both games, John only one but it was nice to see he scored as well. The rest of the injuries are still very much recovering. Joey O'Brien has not joined in full training yet, Matt Taylor and Mark Noble have and are ready to come back into the squad. We have got a big week ahead of us. It is three games in nine days with the Monday match so the bigger the squad availability, the more flexibility we will have. I think we will have to use the squad in its entirety over that period.
Why did you decide to loan Cristian Montano to Swindon Town?
SA: I think he enjoyed his time at Notts County, but Swindon were saying that they are ready to throw him in and play from the start. At Notts County the game time was become less rather than more. Cristian loved his time with Martin though.
We just felt that he should come back and then go out to Swindon and get more games and of course that lies in his hands now. If he starts there then he has to play well. The manager will be saying 'here is your chance, now take it'.
Our scouts and staff go round and keep an eye on the nine players that we have out on loan. It's a big mission with so many being out on loan, but on most of the players we are getting very good and very positive feedback, not from just our staff, but also from the managers and coaches from the clubs they are at.
The only one who is having a difficult time is young Jordan Spence at Bristol City. He had a really good spell last year, but this season the club is struggling and therefore so is he as a young lad.
How is Robert Green progressing?
SA: He's doing well. The disappointment was David [Bentley]. That was a massive disappointment for him and for us. We started to get him back into the fold and enjoying his football and starting to get better and better each time he appeared in the first team. That is a blow for us. We have covered Robert's absence with Manny [Almunia] but we don't feel it necessarily important to rush straight out and look for someone else to come into the squad at the moment. I am happy with the squad as it is and I want to use that squad to its full potential. Hopefully we can continue to win football matches.
Is it likely to be six months for David?
SA: I think that is probably the minimum period. The only cure for it is time and the itme being obviously considerable. It is unlikely he will play for us again this season.
What is your view on the Olympic Stadium?
SA: For what little I know, we are still in the bidding and the essential need for me and for West Ham Is a new stadium. I think it only enhances the club's future and projects the club in a bigger and better light to become bigger and better that it has been in its past history. It would give it an opportunity to create a modern-day history. My comparison is in terms of look at Arsenal in terms of their stadium. It is the thing to attract better players to come and play for your club. The benefits are there of a great arena.
There is no doubting the history and tradition of Upton Park. At the end of the day to progress we have to find a new arena and create a new way forward for West Ham and hopefully a brighter future.
Are you looking forward to seeing Ian Holloway?
SA: I am looking forward to seeing Ian again. Obviously he has managed to recover himself and his team from the disappointment they suffered last year. Realistically they must have been disappointed that they went down from the position they were in. They seemed to manage the situation well and recover, bearing in mind that results they have got and the position in the league as we have ourselves. The only difference between West Ham and Blackpool as that we have a change of manager. I am sure he will be determined to get back to the Premier League as he has had a taste of it. That is certainly my ambition.
They have lots of experience including Kevin Phillips and new signing Lomana LuaLua, don't they?
SA: Ian's experience over many years is not just about coaching but about his knowledge on players that fall into his budget and then fit into his team, and him getting the best out of them. He has certainly proved that over his time at Blackpool. He has had many players leave and many players come in and so it will be a very interesting game. I am looking forward to it.
It is a big week, with Southampton and Brighton coming up away from home?
SA: All three games are. All three teams are in the top reaches of the gable like ourselves, it is one where the players should relish it and look forward to it. We can test ourselves in the space of nine days against teams who are all in similar positions to where we are. So we are all very good teams and proven to be so in the first ten games, we have to go out and try to make sure we get the results we are looking for.
You expressed an interest in Carlos Tevez. Is there any possibility you could get him?
SA: The answer is 'I don't know'. I suppose the situation from my point of view is just if and when the decision is finaly made regarding what's happening with Carlos at Manchester City, then perhaps the co-chairman David Sullivan might want to pursue it. That would be with my blessing obviously. He was the man who talked about it with me first and if we could get him back here, based on what he did here last time and if he did love the club as much as he did and if there was a possibility, then I think it is an outside chance. We will wait and see.