West Ham assistant coach Julian Dicks says they'll be stronger once the medical room clears.

The Hammers have received a major lift in the build-up to the game with Aaron Cresswell making his first appearance against Middlesbrough since suffering knee ligament damage during the pre-season trip to Austria.

Dicks believes his return will boost everyone in the squad and says it is crucial that the big name players are back in first-team contention.

Dicks told whufc.com: “Aaron is a fantastic player and we have missed him. Arthur did very well when he came into the team and then got injured.

“Aaron has been missed as well and it was great to see him get 50 minutes under his belt in a training ground match.

“Hopefully he will have no reaction and be in contention for the game against Crystal Palace.

“It helps having your big players back in the team. We have missed Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew and you need them when things are not going well. They can turn a poor game into a good game with a bit of brilliance."