West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has been forced to ban full-contact training at the club due to risk of further injuries.
The Hammers are currently without a number of first-team players, including Andy Carroll, Mohamed Diame, Yossi Benayoun and Ricardo Vaz Te, forcing Allardyce to name an 80% fit Gary O'Neil in the starting lineup for his side's 2-1 loss to Everton yesterday.
With Carlton Cole also facing the prospect of a three-match ban having been sent off in that match, Allardyce has decided to minimise the risk of more injuries over the festive period by stopping full-contact training.
"We had 10 players who were fit and one was about 80% fit and that was all we had. We had Jack Collison, who hasn't kicked a ball since the playoff final and Alou Diarra, who hasn't kicked a ball in three months, that is how bare bones we are at the moment," said Allardyce.
"Medical staff are busier than us as coaches at the moment. We can't afford any more contact or any more injuries, so we can't even do any training.
"If we try to do any training and try to do any shape or build-up for Reading, we will get contact between players and, if you get contact between players, you risk injury and we can't do that. We can't even get out on the field and do a bit of coaching at the moment."
West Ham's next match comes against Reading next Saturday after their planned Boxing Day trip to Arsenal was called off due to a tube strike.
Barney Corkhill
