Upson and Ferdiand set to return for Hammers

9:26am Tuesday 6th May 2008

DEFENDERS Matthew Upson and Anton Ferdinand could be back for West Ham's final game of the season on Sunday.

Upson has been struggling with a calf problem since March, while Ferdinand limped off with a strained hamstring at Bolton last month.

But assistant boss Mervyn Day confirmed that both could return when Hammers entertain Aston Villa at Upton Park.

Day said: "Ferdinand was running on the pitch (at Old Trafford) before the game so we're hopeful that he might have a chance of being fit.

"Matty did some running on Friday so we're hopeful but we've been hopeful of a few of them for three or four weeks.

"Realistically I've never known at any club I've been at, and I've been in this game at least 35 years, the number of injuries we've sustained this year."

Winger Julien Faubert, who missed Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Manchester United after suffering a knock in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United, could also return against Martin O'Neill's side.

However, striker Dean Ashton is facing a fight to be fit. The 24-year-old - who has scored four goals in the last seven games - limped out of the action at Old Trafford with a groin muscle problem.

"Dean Ashton was going to come off five minutes before he scored. He's tweaked his groin when he scored," added Day.

"He got to half-time and said he'd like to keep going but then he wasn't particularly mobile and couldn't get round the pitch, so with another game next Sunday we thought we'd protect him a little bit."

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