West Ham United’s Diafra Sakho to miss Everton match with thigh injury

Bilic said: “It must be eight years or so”.

“Unfortunately it is a small tear, a rupture in his thigh”.

Their opposition on Saturday, meanwhile, come into the game at the Boleyn Ground on a high after putting six goals past Sunderland in their last Premier League match.

Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna return to the squad after injuries to boost the Hammers’ defence, with James Collins out suspended following his red card in the Hornets defeat.

“Song started training before Watford and he’s been with us for one week now”, added Bilic.

The Hammers have impressed with wins at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to leave them sixth in the league table and Bilic expects a good game.

“It is set-back as he is very important player to us”, Bilic said. It was nothing major for him, but now he’s been training for a whole week.

“We see West Ham as one of the best teams of the campaign in the early months”. They may have lost to them on penalties in the FA Cup last season, but before that West Ham had not beaten them since 2007, that is 17 games ago.

According to the report, Bilic is well aware that if the former River Plate man continues at a similar level, he will attract admiring glances from other clubs so is intent on signing him up as soon as possible ahead of next season’s switch from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium.

“It went to 2-2 and Everton looked shaky, but when they scored the third and fourth, it could have been nine, 10”.

“They are full of confidence, but so are we because we are a team who are playing well and will be at home”.