West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini said Jack Wilshere's imminent return to first-team action will provide a 'good injection' to his squad.
Wilshere started West Ham's opening four games of the season after joining from Arsenal last summer, but has played just one game since due to an ankle injury, which he underwent surgery on in December.
With fellow midfielders Manuel Lanzini and Samir Nasri ruled out of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Leicester, the 27-year old could feature.
"Jack Wilshere is OK," Pellegrini said on Thursday. "He worked without problems.
"We'll see tomorrow how he feels. He played already one game for the U23s. We will talk with him but (it) will be soon this week, next week. I hope that he will play some games before we finish the season.
"He's a midfielder that we need because in that position we have (had) so many times all of them injured. (Andriy) Yarmolenko, Wilshere and Lanzini, so the return for Jack will be a good injection."
Three straight defeats have seen 11th-placed West Ham lose ground in the race to finish as 'the best of the rest' behind the Premier League's top six, but ending the season in the top half remains a possibility with seventh-placed Leicester only five points ahead.
Pellegrini is hoping that the laying of a new claret pitch surround at the London Stadium, which will be seen for the first time against Leicester on Saturday, will give the club an added boost for their remaining home games.
"I think it's a good idea to have it with the colours of our club," Pellegrini said.
"It's an improvement. I think both for the aesthetic and the pitch area."
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