Hammers short of scoring options

London - West Ham's tough game at Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday has been made more difficult by the absence of their two leading scorers, manager Sam Allardyce said on Friday.

The London club have been desperate to pull out of a slump that has brought only one win in 11 games since the middle of January, leading to speculation about whether the experienced Allardyce will be offered a new contract.

He admitted last week that if they had started the season like they are finishing it, he would already have been sacked.