West Ham’s record signing Andre Ayew is back in training after suffering a thigh injury on his league debut – but striker Andy Carroll is still weeks away from returning.

Forward Ayew, signed for £20.5m from Swansea in the summer, was injured in August’s league opener with Chelsea.

Manager Slaven Bilic described himself as “delighted” by the “big boost” given by the 26-year-old Ghanaian’s progress.

But Carroll, 27, is still out with his “very strange” knee injury.

“Originally it was [going to be] four to six weeks – and we were fuming about it, it was a shocking prognosis – but now it’s way longer,” Bilic said of the England striker.

“All I know is that it’s about weeks – but then it was about weeks at the beginning when it happened.”

Left-back Aaron Cresswell is the only other player who remains injured, although Ayew – who was originally ruled out for up to four months – is not expected to make the squad for the visit of Sunderland at the weekend.

The Hammers have taken only four points their first four league games at their new home, the London Stadium.

Source: BBC