Hammer Marko Arnautovic has admitted he needs weekly injections to play due to an ongoing knee injury. The striker is in Vienna, Austria on International duty and took time to speak to Salzburger Nachrichten.

The report by the Austrian paper says the striker cannot concentrate on football at the moment because his left knee, which has been injured for weeks and still causes him problems. He admits he has regularly treated with syringes which presumably inflammatory injections.

Arnie reported told the local press: “I can not say if I’ll get an injection on Thursday. In the knee, fluid accumulates again and again. Of course, there are people who say they should spare themselves and do nothing for a week, but it’s just difficult.”

It had previously reported Arnautovic was suffering from bruising on the bone.

“The knee is not the best, I’m fit, I can play, but I’m not training a lot, also at West Ham and I try to recover my knee,” Arnautovic previously told Sky Sports.  “It’s going to take some time, I’ve got some inflammation in my bone but I am always ready to play on the weekend so it’s just one of those things. Obviously after a game, I need some rest, like two or three days, but then middle of the week I am training normal with the team and training full and on the weekend I play, that’s the most important thing.

“Obviously you can’t do anything on this bone bruise, you can’t change it, you can’t do nothing, you just have to treat it good, you have to settle it down but I can handle the pain”

Claret and View view:

West Ham is so reliant on Marko Arnautovic for goals it seems incredible we can not afford for him to recover properly from his knee injury. In the last International break, a deal was done with the Austrian football association that he plays in one of the two international games but West Ham supporters will be asking again why he is taking the risk of more games and gambling with his knee injury by having further injections. With two international games scheduled someone needs to save him from himself and tell him to rest. I guess it difficult for the Hammers to argue he is unfit for international duty when they play him week in week out with his current problem. Let’s hope he comes out of the current international break unscathed. Without completely writing the next game against Manchester City maybe he will be rested for that game.

Former West Ham player and manager Harry Redknapp has been confirmed as a contestant in ‘I am a celebrity get me out of here” which starts this Sunday on ITV at 9 pm.

Speaking ahead of venturing into the jungle, Redknapp said he had never watched the TV programme before.

“There’s nothing tougher than being a manager of a football team when things aren’t going well,” the 71-year-old said. “You feel responsible, however many people support your team every week. The buck stops with you. You haven’t got many friends when it’s not going well as a football manager.

“So no, I don’t think doing this will be tougher.”

Harry Redknapp’s relationship with West Ham began in 1962, when he joined the Club as a 15-year-old schoolboy. The Poplar-born midfielder spent a decade with the Hammers as a player, making 175 appearances and scoring eight goals.

In 1992 he re-joined the Hammers as he took on the role of former team-mate Billy Bonds’ assistant at West Ham. Two years later, Redknapp took over from Bonds as manager in August 1994, beginning a seven-year reign at the Boleyn Ground. Redknapp departed one game before the end of the 2000/01 campaign. West Ham Games Managed 327  Games Won 121 Games Drawn 85 Games Lost 121 Win Percentage 37%

We are sure the Jungle will compulsive watching for many West Ham and football supporters alike and the former Hammer is highly likely to be a big favourite for the people’s vote to complete the famous bushtucker trials. According to ITV Lorraine’s show, Harry will receive a record £500,000 appearance fee for appearing in the jungle surpassing the £400,000 boxer Amir Khan was reportedly paid to take part on I’m A Celebrity last year.

West Ham has been asked to contribute towards a  £5m golden goodbye for the outgoing Premier League Chairman Richard  Scudamore. The clubs were asked for the money before a meeting on Tuesday by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.

Scudamore who is reportedly paid £2.5m per season, is stepping down next month after 19 years at the organisation and Buck wants each Premier League club to pay£250,000 towards a special retirement bonus.

On Thursday the Premier League announced that Susanna Dinnage will be its new chief executive.

Dinnage joins from media organisation Discovery, where she was the global president of the Animal Planet channel.

Scudamore joined the Premier League in November 1999 as chief executive before becoming executive chairman in June 2014.

The top-flight clubs have agreed to split his role and will now search for a non-executive chair with Tony Blair one of the names linked.

C&H Opinion:

We do find it strange that the Premier League would reward a very rich man who has been well paid for his efforts. There is no doubt that Scudamore can be credited in making the Premier League the best league in the world as also the richest with over £5 billion of TV rights but that job is now done and at just fifty-nine. years of age he has done very well out of his time there. He could walk into any job or non-executive he wants to and the money would still roll in.  With the Isla Caton fund £205,000 short of their £600,000 to help save the plucky little girl, it would be hard for some supporters to swallow that the club enough to give £250,000 to a rich man’s golden goodbye but not enough to donate a similar amount to a worthwhile charity for one of their own.

Jack Wilshere has once again been discussing his England hopes which right at this moment don’t look to great of course!

The last time he spoke on the subject was when he was omitted from Gareth Southgate’s squad for Russia when he tweeted that he was going to have his say on the matter.

He reckoned he had proved his fitness with Arsenal after making 38 appearances for Arsenal last season and declared in a tweet: “Think its about time I had my say.

It goes without saying that I’m naturally incredibly disappointed to have been left out of the England squad for the World Cup. I’ve felt fit, sharp and strong all season and believe I should be in the squad!”

Now in an exclusive BT Sport interview he is on the subject of the Three Lions again saying that Gareth Southgate hasn’t been in touch with him since the World Cup Finals.

The Hammers midfielder said: “No, I haven’t heard from [Southgate], but as a footballer and as an English player playing in England, the day that you say you don’t want to play for your national team or give up, is the day you should really give up playing football.”

He added: “Sometimes players go through tough times, injuries and stuff, but I always believe in my abilities. When I get back I’m looking to give my best performances – and you never know then.”

ClaretandHugh says:

What a spectacular piece of seriously bad timing from Mr Wilshere just as it was when he decided to tell the England manager what he thought of his decision making processes by not including him in the 23 man squad for Russia. Bosses in any walk of life don’t usually like that so I’m not too surprised Gareth Southgate hasn’t spoken to him since. Come to that why would he anyway? His form wasn’t great in the early Hammers games and now he’s been off for a couple of months injured.  What really irritates me though is that at a time when all his thoughts should be focused on making a successful return for the Hammers we find him ‘chopsing’ on about England. Ok there’s a passing reference about looking to give his best for us but that’s a given anyway. May I suggest Jack gives fewer exclusive interviews on England or much else until he has shown us all his stuff again!

Angelo Ogbonna is still hanging on to his international hopes despite experiencing a lean time at West Ham.

The 30 year old central defender has been struggling for minutes this season making just four appearances in teh Premier Leahue.

He has suffered because of the  outstanding form of Fabian Balbuena and  Issa Diop but refuses to give up on his international ambitions.

TMW  reported his comments on Sky Italia when asked about his international ambitions.

He said:  “Italy is a goal for me, we are going through a difficult period at West Ham but I still think about the national team. There are many good players and the competition is high: it is not me who makes the choices, but I wait for the call.”

Ogbonna started the first two games of the season for West Ham but has played only ten minutes in the league since and was again an unused sub during the game against Huddersfield Town.

ClaretandHugh’s view:

Oggy – like many players in his position – is making the right noises and saying all the right things. And in fairness to him he has never been a complainer and has quietly got on with life which has often, like now, been in the Hammers shadows. There have been the high spots of course but plenty of lows and with Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop in possession he will be waiting for injury of suspension to kick in to get too much of a look in as far as the first team is concerned. Sadly, the reality is that at some stage soon his future as a Hammer is going to come under scrutiny as of course will Winston Reid’s. The reality is that it’s reasonable to think of him moving on which seems the  probable way forward for his Italian hopes to be realised as he has now enters his 30s. Sadly, at this moment his hopes are fading and dying.

West Ham are this afternoon still locked in talks with Samir Nasri and his advisers as they try to land a deal for the 31 year old out of contract midfielder.

Despite reports that Chinese clubs may be interested in the former Arsenal and Manchester City player Manuel Pellegrini is desperately keen to land the player with whom he enjoyed a good relationship at Manchester City.

But it has become clear that the Hammers will not be  ready to pay him an £80k basic wage which early reports suggested may be on offer.

The club are still insisting that a reasonable portion must be appearance related with a senior source again confirming that to ClaretandHugh.

We were told in a brief text message: “We are  negotiating but at £80k basic it’s a no. Appearance money has to be involved.”

Should he sign, Nasri will be unable to play for the club until the start of January as he is still serving out a suspension.

Hammer Pablo Zabaleta will announce his retirement as a player at the end of the season, according to a report from Spain.

The 33-year-old is in the final last year of his contract with West Ham and despite having an automatic option of an extension after playing 28 for the Hammers, and an offer from the Middle East, he is likely to hang up his boots while at the top of his game.

Catalan newspaper Sport claims that after assessing his family situation, Zaba is going to announce his retirement.

The paper claims Zabaleta will establish his home in Barcelona, where he played with Espanyol and where his  wife Christel  – a model –  is from. The couple already have a property in the area.

The Argentine right-back has been taking his coaching badges and refused to rule out coaching on day

Claret and Hugh View:

You have to admire Pablo Zabaleta. He s still loved by Manchester City fans and he has certainly showed his worth with us as he demonstrates he can still cut it in the Premier League despite facing much younger opponents most of the time.He has shown a real passion for the Hammers and has been an excellent role model for the younger players within the squad and is often described as the true example of a football professional. If the report is true that he is retiring at the top of the game and on his own terms by putting his family first instead of a making a big money move to China or the Middle East that’s worthy of even more admiration. Many footballers could learn from that approach. I have no doubt – given his dedication  to his craft – that he will return to the Premier League one day as an accomplished manager maybe to manage Man City or West Ham.

Grady Diangana’s substitution against Huddersfield came hard on the heels of Manuel Pellegrini’s midweek claim that the player needs to take the “next step.”

The manager was unclear in describing what that was but after taking him out of the action in Yorkshire it’s a question worth revisiting.

Early in the game Grady made one hugely exiting contribution when delivering a magnificent pass to Arnie from which most would have backed him to score given his usual deadly ability in such positions.

Sadly, it never looked likely with the striker unable to take up the right position to put it around the keeper as is usually the case.

However, it could not detract from the quality that ‘Diang’ showed in setting up the chance but sadly little followed and that may have affected his confidence and eventually his substitution.

It also begged the question of that next step which I reckon means the reliability of  his team-mates who are a looking for him to choose the right option in a variety of circumstances.

He has to learn when to  press on towards goal, make a run off the ball or release it as he did on Saturday to set up Arnie’s chance.

Effectively the next step it seems is game experience!

It’s a scenario not uncommon to players much further advanced in the game like Raheem Sterling who often fails to pick the right ball, often preferring to press on with a run that too often fizzles out.

Grady Diangana is a hugely exciting player and will grow and grow but in the meantime expect him to be subbed regularly as he continues on his PL learning curve.