West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that Andy Carroll is not fully fit despite making his return from injury against Aston Villa.
Carroll made his first appearance of the season on Saturday, coming on as a late substitute during the 0-0 draw at Upton Park.
However, following a persistent ankle problem, Allardyce admits that the England international is still a few weeks away from being in peak condition.
"He's still five or six games away from being fully fit. It's pre-season for him really, so we'll gradually increase his pitch time and see how he copes and how quickly he recovers," he told the club's official website.
"We need to be careful that we don't rush him back too quickly because we don't want to risk him getting injured again.
"Thankfully our squad is working well at the moment and that gives me the freedom to slowly work him back into the side. We'll take each week as it comes and go by a game by game basis."
West Ham are back in Premier League action on November 22 when they face Everton at Goodison Park.
Jack Prescott
