Sakho/Kouyate get Irons protection

West Ham will be sending staff club medics – or others specially hired for the job  – to accompany Diafra Sakho and Cheik Kouyate at the African Nations Cup should they be selected for the Senegal squad.

Despite Sam Allardyce claiming they may not have sufficient staff to do so, ClaretandHugh has received assurances that Sakho and Kouyate wilt  indeed have West Ham medics on hand at the tournament.

The news was confirmed after the manager re-opened the issue with the national press today where reports claim mystery surrounds the back injury the striker picked up while on international duty last month.

He has refused to give details for legal reasons but we were have already reported the injury occurred under the hands of a physio – who may or may not have been attached to the international squad – on a treatment table.

But Allardyce is still seething at an injury he claimed was not caused by playing or training and says the player was ‘mistreated so badly.

Asked if he trusted the Senegal medical team with Sakho, he said: I don’t, is the answer to that.

ClaretandHugh was told: “If there aren’t sufficient medical staff to go we will hire some to fill in here or go out there – it’s not a big problem.”