Sports Mole previews the Premier League clash between West Ham and Newcastle at Upton Park as the respective managers prepare to do battle against former clubs.

Sam Allardyce could welcome back several of his key players for West Ham United's Premier League match with Newcastle United at Upton Park on Saturday.

Alex Song, Cheikhou Kouyate, Stewart Downing and Diafra Sakho were all late withdrawals from the side which went down 2-1 at Everton last weekend.

West Ham's medical team have been working hard to ensure that four of the most influential figures in their promising start to the season will make the visit of the Magpies.

Song and Kouyate have formed the midfield base which has allowed Downing to produce the form which earned him a first England call up in over two years, while £3.5m signing Sakho has six goals in seven starts.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has had even worse luck with injuries and his 11-strong list of absentees was added to by Ryan Taylor, who limped off in the first half of the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers.

The injury-plagued midfielder has been cleared of a third knee ligament problem, but faces four weeks out and joins the likes of Siem de Jong, Gabriel Obertan, Davide Santon and Cheick Tiote on the sidelines.

This packed treatment room has not prevented the Tyneside outfit from producing a remarkable turnaround which has seen them climb from the bottom of the table to fifth - level on points with their opponents.

Six straight victories in all competitions have emphatically extinguished questions over Pardew's job security, and now it is Newcastle, and not the Hammers, who are the form team in the division.

Allardyce's side saw a five-game unbeaten run, which included three successive wins, ended at Goodison Park. Mauro Zarate scored off the bench, but will only start in London if Downing is not passed fit.

The returns of Song, Kouyate and Sakho are slightly dampened by the fact that the hosts are now missing Mark Noble with a muscle strain and first-choice centre-back Winston Reid through suspension.

Reid's absence will see West Ham abandon the 3-5-2 formation that they used on Merseyside. Enner Valencia also remains out and therefore Andy Carroll could start against the club where he made his name.

Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor face late fitness tests for the visitors, but there is a good chance that one of them will be available to replace Mike Williamson and partner Paul Dummett in defence.

Pardew could name an otherwise unchanged team, with Remy Cabella again being preferred to French compatriot Yoan Gouffran, and three-goal forward Ayoze Perez keeping Papiss Cisse on the bench.

Allardyce was sacked before the end of his first season at St James' Park in 2008, while Pardew managed the Hammers to promotion and the FA Cup final during his three-year tenure from 2003 to 2006.

West Ham:

Recent form: WWWDDL

Possible starting lineup: Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell; Kouyate, Song, Nolan; Downing; Carroll, Valencia

Newcastle:

Form in Premier League: LWWWWW
Form in all competitions: WWWWWW

Possible starting lineup: Krul; Janmaat, Taylor, Dummett, Haidara; Anita, Colback; Cabella, Sissoko, Ameobi; Perez

Sports Mole says: 1-0