West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is counting on fit-again striker Benni McCarthy to make a big impact in the season run-in.

McCarthy has fully recovered from a knee injury and was in the squad for the defeat to Chelsea.

Zola told whufc.com: "He has a lot of faith in his ability. He's a big player. He was training the whole of last week. He started very slowly, but towards the end you could see him improving.

"This week he will be at his top. We are relying a lot on his experience and knowledge. He has played important games in his career. We are expecting nine very important games. His experience and quality will be vital for us."