Coventry City match preview

Introduction

• West Ham United welcome Coventry City looking for a seventh home win of the season and to help arrest a run that has seen them lose three times in their last five outings.

• The Hammers know a victory over the Sky Blues would keep up the pressure on the top two in the npower Championship. Southampton are three points ahead on 47 points, while Middlesbrough are a point in front on 45.

• Coventry City go into the weekend 23rd in the npower Championship table, having not won away from home all season. In fact Coventry last won on the road on 12 April.

• A home victory would be the Hammers fourth successive league and cup victory over the Sky Blues, and would also be their first league double against Coventry since the 1986/87 campaign.

• West Ham United's 39 league goals have been shared between 16 different players. Carlton Cole leads the way with eight goals to his name.

• Although Coventry have scored just 20 league goals this season, Lucas Jutkiewicz has nine to his name. The Sky Blues have registered just six goals away from home.

Team news

West Ham United

• West Ham United welcome back George McCartney, Kevin Nolan, Julien Faubert and Jack Collison after suspension. The 31 December deadline for a one-match ban for five cautions has now passed.

• Sam Allardyce could rest Joey O'Brien, after the Irishman played with a severe ear infection against Derby on Saturday.

• Gary O'Neil and Frank Nouble may also miss out after playing their first Hammers minutes of the season on Saturday, while Henri Lansbury and Winston Reid started for the first time since 18 October and 1 November respectively.

• Robert Hall could make his home bow after his debut at Derby. He is in an initial 20-man squad named by the manager.

• Marek Stech (shoulder), Matt Taylor (calf), Abdoulaye Faye (calf) and Guy Demel (thigh) are the only injury absentees.

• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Cristian Montano (Dagenham & Redbridge), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers) and Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon) are all out on temporary loans.

Coventry City

Coventry City

• While the Hammers may make several changes, Andy Thorn has limited options for the Sky Blues.

• Club skipper Sammy Clingan, defender Nathan Cameron and forwards Cody McDonald and Clive Platt, who scored in the previous fixture in November, are all expected to be on the sidelines.

Last time out

Saturday 31 December 2011
npower Championship
Derby County 2-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Reid, Tomkins, Potts, Bouba Diop (Hall 79), Lansbury, Noble, O'Neil (Cole 61), Piquionne (Baldock 61), Nouble
Subs not used: Sears, Carew
Goals: Nouble 42

Saturday 31 December 2011
npower Championship
Coventry City 2-0 Doncaster Rovers
Coventry City: Murphy, Keogh, Craine, Wood, Christie, Bell, Baker, Deegan (Bigirimana 81), Thomas, Jutkiewicz, McSheffrey
Subs not used: Dunn, Hussey, McPake, Jeffers
Goals: McSheffrey 34, Jutkiewicz 54

Last six meetings

19 November 2011 Coventry City 1-2 West Ham United
30 October 2007 Coventry City 1-2 West Ham United (League Cup fourth round)
9 April 2005 West Ham United 3-0 Coventry City (Championship)
30 August 2004 Coventry City 2-1 West Ham United (Championship)
1 November 2003 West Ham United 2-0 Coventry City (Division One)
12 February 2003 Coventry City 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)

Overall record v Coventry City (all competitions) W 43 D 24 L 26

Ten-year records

West Ham United

2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th

Coventry City

2010/11 Championship 18th
2009/10 Championship 19th
2008/09 Championship 17th
2007/08 Championship 21st
2006/07 Championship 17th
2005/06 Championship 8th
2004/05 Championship 19th
2003/04 Division One 12th
2002/03 Division One 20th
2001/02 Division One 11th

Referee

• Monday's referee will be Simon Hooper.

• Having joined the Football League list in 2008/09, Hooper has never taken charge of a West Ham United fixture.

• He has taken charge of 16 matches this season, most recently Reading's 3-0 win at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day.

• His only Coventry game to date was 16 March 2010 when they lost 2-1 at home to Cardiff City through Peter Whittingham's last-minute penalty.

Us and them

• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Coventry City during their careers - Jack Ball, Gary Breen, David Burrows, Noel Cantwell (manager), Laurie Conwell, Calum Davenport, Alan Dickie, Alf Fenwick, Bobby Gould, Tommy Green, Mike Grice, Robbie Keane, Tom Lee, Joe Loughlin, Mike Marsh, Cyril Norrington, Graham Paddon, Stewart Robson, Les Sealey, Danny Shone, Matthew Smailes, Elliott Ward and Steve Whitton.

• Coventry City and Wales striker Freddy Eastwood spent time with West Ham United as a schoolboy and trainee before leaving and joining non-league Grays Athletic in 2003.

• Sam Allardyce played 28 games for Coventry City under former Hammers favourite Bobby Gould in the 1983/84 season.

• Wally Downes and Coventry manager Andy Thorn were team-mates at Wimbledon during their playing days.

• The first-ever meeting between West Ham United and Coventry City took place at the Boleyn Ground on 21 November 1908. The Southern League First Division fixture ended in a 2-0 win for the Hammers in front of 6,000 fans, with the goals being scored by Jack Foster and Tom Randall.

• The first Football League meeting between West Ham United and Coventry City took place in front of 15,000 supporters at Highfield Road on 6 December 1919. The match finished in a goalless draw.

• The largest crowd to witness a Coventry City versus West Ham United fixture is the 34,568 who turned out for a League Cup semi-final first leg at Highfield Road on 27 January 1981. The Sky Blues triumphed 3-2 on the night, but the Hammers prevailed 4-3 on aggregate.

• West Ham United's biggest-ever home win against Coventry came on New Year's Day in 1921. The Hammers were 7-0 victors in the second tier fixture.

• Coventry City's best away showing in east London was a 3-0 success on 11 December 1982.

• Fourteen players have made their West Ham United debuts against Coventry City - Stephen Smith (December 1919), William Guest (October 1936), Rod Williams (November 1937), Eddie Chapman (September 1948), Clive Charles (March 1972), Everald La Ronde (April 1982), Joe Gallagher (December 1982), Greg Chappell (September 1984), Stewart Robson (January 1987), Frank Lampard (January 1996), Paulo Futre (August 1996), Javier Margas (August 1998), Adam Newton (September 1999), Kaba Diawara (September 2000) and Brian Deane (November 2003).

Up next

• West Ham United travel to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup third round on Sunday 8 January, while Coventry take on Southampton at home on Saturday 7 January in the same competition.

General information

• Limited tickets will be available on the day, go to www.whufcboxoffice.com for more information

• Monday's weather forecast is for a clear, dry day with temperatures peaking around the 7C mark.