Injuries pile pressure on Hammers

West Ham's injury crisis has become so bad that Sam Allardyce has been forced to ban full-contact training over Christmas.

Hammers boss Allardyce insisted he could not risk losing any more players during the festive period as he faced up to the prospect of Carlton Cole being banned for three matches after Saturday's controversial 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat to Everton.

Andy Carroll, Mohamed Diame, Yossi Benayoun and Ricardo Vaz Te were joined on the sidelines by the ill Guy Demel on Saturday, with Allardyce forced to select an 80% fit Gary O'Neil in his starting line-up and long-term injury victims Alou Diarra and Jack Collison on the bench.

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