Relegated West Ham will try and salvage some pride as they take on Sunderland in their final home game.
Hammers will try and lift the despair around their fans with a win
Relegated West Ham will try and salvage some pride as they take on Sunderland in their final home game.
The defeat against Wigan last week condemned the Hammers to the Championship and led to the immediate dismissal of manager Avram Grant.
Kevin Keen has been appointed caretaker manager for the final game of the season and there are indications that he would like to the post on a full-time basis.
Numerous departures will be expected from Upton Park this summer, while at Sunderland manager Steve Bruce hopes owner Ellis Short continues to back him the transfer market over the summer.
The American owner has spent over £55million since taking control of the club but the raft of injuries has highlighted the limitations of their squad.
Sunderland's crippling injury list saw them tumble from as high as sixth in February down to 14th in the league.
Should the Black Cats get an away win and results elsewhere go their way they still have an outside chance of finishing in the top 10.
Team news
Keen has intimated he may give West Ham fans a glimpse of the future by fielding a young team as they look to blood some youngsters ahead of next season.
A win could help to strengthen Keen's claims for the job and Academy graduates Zavon Hines, Freddie Sears and Jack Collison are all set to be included.
The Hammers have no fresh injury worries ahead of this game as Gary O'Neil remains a long-term absentee after undergoing ankle surgery.
Mark Noble and Junior Stanislas look like missing out with hernia injuries.
Bruce still has a host of players unavailable due to injury: Fraizer Campbell (knee), Craig Gordon (knee), Lee Cattermole (back), Titus Bramble (knee), Michael Turner (knee), David Meyler (knee), and Danny Welbeck (hamstring).
Marcos Angeleri has returned to Argentina to consult a specialist over a persistent knee problem.
Asamoah Gyan and Anton Ferdinand have both returned to training after injury and Bruce may be tempted to use Ferdinand due to his lack of defensive options.
Possible starting XIs
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Bridge, Spector, Da Costa, Gabbidon, Parker, Hitzlsperger, Cole, Ba, Sears.
Sunderland: Mignolet, Elmohamady, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Bardsley, Henderson, Colback, Mensah, Malbranque, Zenden, Sessegnon.
