West ham face manchester united in their last premier league away game

By Simon Hayes on May 1, 2008 8:59 AM |

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IT'S ALMOST the end of the road for West Ham as they play their last away game of the season against Manchester United this weekend.

Alan Curbishley takes his 100 per cent record against the Premier League Champions to Old Trafford on Saturday (May 3), knowing a point would be good enough to guarantee the Hammers 10th place.

The Irons will be without Freddie Ljungberg, whose cracked rib sustained in last Saturday's (April 26) 2-2 draw with Newcastle will rule him out for a month, and possible the European Championships.

Curbishley will be hoping, with just two games left, that will be the end of the injury problems he's faced all season.

"Another one goes out, but that's just par for the course," he said. "We've got some players through the [Newcastle] game. Faubert got through it but Ljungberg's going out now."

But there is better news on some of his other injured stars, including Matthew Upson, one of six crocked centre-backs, and John Spector and perhaps even winger Matty Etherington. Curbishley was looking on the bright side of his injury crisis.

He said: "I've been saying all season that our problems have made our squad stronger because squad players are getting games. Once again they got games today and more experience so we'll see what we've got for Man United.

"Obviously it's a big game now for them and we need to get something from the next two games to stay in that 10th position."

United will be keen to repair the damage done to their title aspirations by last Saturday's defeat at Chelsea, and will be in no mood to give West Ham an easy ride.

Last season, of course, the Irons recorded a memorable last-day victory to secure their Premier League status, thanks to a goal from Carlos Tevez.

The little Argentinian could well be lining up against his former colleagues on Saturday, especially with Wayne Rooney likely to be ruled out with injury. And with fellow Upton Park old boys Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick set to feature it could be a difficult afternoon in Manchester.

But Hammers' striker Dean Ashton, who was on target against Newcastle for his ninth goal of the season, thinks they still have a chance.

He said: "With our record against Man United, it is going to be a great game and we will be looking to get a result there but it will be extremely hard."

simon.hayes@wharf.co.uk