Star Striker Set for West Ham United Return Ahead of Crucial Run of Premier League Fixtures

Andy Carroll is set to feature for West Ham United in the final few games of the Premier League season, after successfully recovering from an ankle injury he sustained against Spurs in a 1-1 draw at Wembley back in January.

According to the Mirror, the 29-year-old striker is expected to be named on the bench for the Hammers when they host relegation strugglers, Stoke City, at the London Stadium on Monday night.

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Carroll, who joined West Ham on a permanent deal in 2013, has made only 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals, both of which were in a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on the 2nd January.

Reports initially suggested that Carroll would be out for the rest of the season due to a hairline fracture on the ankle with the possibility of surgery. At the time, Carroll was also linked with a possible move to Chelsea, but the injury meant Chelsea their withdrew interest in him.

Despite Carroll's injury, David Moyes has relied on the qualities of 28-year-old Austrian striker, Marko Arnautovic, to lead the line of attack during a somewhat forgettable season for the Hammers. Arnautovic joined the London outfit last summer on a £20m deal and has scored nine goals in 25 matches so far this season. 

West Ham will head into the clash against Stoke on Monday as clear favourites after a strong performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. A 73rd minute equaliser by Javier Hernández earned West Ham a valuable draw, while Stoke slumped to their 18th defeat of the season on Saturday in a 2-1 loss at home against Spurs.

The last time the two teams met was on the 16th December, a game which saw West Ham claim a comfortable 3-0 win at Stoke, thanks to goals from Mark Noble, Marko Arnautovic and Diafra Sakho.