West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce says their long injury list is hurting their campaign this season.

Allardyce wrote in the London Evening Standard: "Most people, me included, wake up feeling a fresh wave of optimism on the first morning of a new year. Things hadn't been so good for us in the dying weeks of the old one and I hoped 2014 would start in a better way. I was wrong.

"The defeat at Fulham was another blow, particularly in the way it happened. I've had my say about Kevin Nolan's red card. We met at the training ground yesterday and it was dealt with internally. I won't be saying any more about that particular issue.

"You go through many trials and tribulations in football and all we can do is take stock and keep trying to move forward until we cross names off our injury list.

"Looking down our squad of 25, which includes two goalkeepers, I have 14 players available with the possibility of Ravel Morrison being fit by the end of the week. That's not an excuse or a moan - it's fact."