West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola admits they're in a relegation battle.

The Italian knows they need to bounce back against Birmingham next weekend and he has called on his players to accept they are in a dogfight to avoid the drop.

"The next two games can really make a difference for us, starting on Saturday," Zola told The Independent.

"We have to forget quickly about Manchester United because they are on a different level and right now we can't compete with them. Saturday is a big match and we need a very big performance.

"We are in a relegation fight. We have to accept that. We need to make a real effort to get out of this position straightaway.

"There are teams with 17 points in the middle of the table, so if you get a couple of wins you can move up quickly. And it is not only difficult for us to get points - it is hard for the other teams around us too.

"We need to find a bit more consistency and it would help to have fewer injuries. We have so many players out."