West Ham will look for reinforcements in forward areas 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 with form and fitness issues since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
The January window is open and Lopetegui hopes technical director Tim Steidten can bring in some reinforcements.
He said: “We have lost two important strikers but the club knows our needs and will work.
“The club is working to get this job done and we need to focus on getting ready to go into games.
“I’m not talking about the market here – I’m more focused on the next games and having all our strengths and convictions on Saturday. The players who are not there will not help us on Saturday.
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Bowen out for a while – Lopetegui
Bowen’s broken foot – suffered in Sunday’s 5-0 home defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool – is a particular blow.
“He won’t be out for a few days, that’s for sure,” Lopetegui said of the England winger.
“Unfortunately for us, he is injured, he played 30 minutes with it, and now he has to recover.
“This is not good news for us, but we are sure that he will work hard for his recovery because of his character. I prefer not to give 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 want Jarrod to recover quickly, but in the same way looking at the other players.
Antonio spends time with his family
Antonio suffered a broken lower limb in a car accident a month ago and will not return for the foreseeable future.
“Michail is going to be away for a while, but it’s good that he’s home with his family,” added Lopetegui. “Of course he’s going to try to recover as quickly as possible, but we’re not going to get him back here for a long time.”
West Ham travel to Manchester City on Saturday with Alphonse Areola set to continue in goal while Lukasz Fabianski is still out due to the head injury he suffered at Southampton on Boxing Day.
“We have to wait 10 days to follow the Premier League protocol, after which he will be ready to help us but we have confidence in Alphonse and Wes. [Foderingham]” said former Real Madrid boss Lopetegui.
