West Ham will be looking for reinforcements up front over the next month, according to boss Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers have lost Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen to long-term injuries in recent weeks, while Germany international Niclas Fullkrug has struggled for form and fitness since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
The January window is open and Lopetegui is hoping technical director Tim Steidten can secure some reinforcements.
He said: “We have lost two important strikers, but the club knows our needs and will work.
“The club is working on this job, and we have to focus on being ready to compete in the games.
“I’m not talking about the market here – I’m more focused on the next games and that we have all the strength and conviction on Saturday. The players who are not here will not help us on Saturday.”
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Bowen out for a while – Lopetegui
Bowen’s broken foot – suffered during Sunday’s 5-0 defeat at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool – is a particular blow.
“He won’t be out for a few days for sure,” Lopetegui said of the England winger.
“Unfortunately for us, he has an injury, he played with it for 30 minutes, and now he has to recover.
“It’s not good news for us, but we’re sure he’ll work hard on his recovery because of his character. I prefer not to give a number of days, but we will see how things develop.
“Jarrod is one of our main players and our captain, but we have to find solutions and it is up to the other players to show that they are ready. We’re looking for Jarrod to recover quickly, but we’re looking at the other players the same way.”
Antonio spends time with his family
Antonio suffered a fracture of his lower limbs in a car accident a month ago and will not be back anytime soon.
“Michail will be out for a while, but it’s good that he is at home with his family,” added Lopetegui. “He’ll certainly try to recover as soon as possible, but we won’t have him back here for much longer.”
West Ham take on Manchester City on Saturday with Alphonse Areola set to continue in goal while Lukasz Fabianski is still out with the head injury he suffered at Southampton on Boxing Day.
“We have to wait 10 days to fulfill the Premier League protocol, after that he will be ready to help us, but we believe in Alphonse and Wes [Foderingham]”, said former Real Madrid boss Lopetegui.
