According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United are hopeful that striker Andy Carroll, rated at €10m (£8.8m) by Transfermarkt, could be fit to return for their final two Premier League matches of the season in May.

It was thought that the 29-year-old would miss the rest of the campaign having suffered a hairline fracture to his ankle last month, which The Mirror says wrecked a potential move to the Premier League holders Chelsea before the January transfer window slammed shut.

The centre-forward, who has scored two goals in 12 top flight appearances this term, hasn't featured for David Moyes' men since a late substitute outing in their 1-1 draw against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on January 4, but the report adds that there is a new belief that he could be back in action in May having undergone a successful operation.

https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/most-injured.mp4

While they will hope not to be, West Ham could still find themselves in a relegation battle when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium before hosting Everton at the London Stadium on the final day in May, and they may need their 29-year-old striker to be involved even though Marko Arnautovic has been brilliant in the centre-forward role in his absence.

The Irons currently lie in 12th position and four points above the bottom three following their 2-0 win against Watford last time out, but they face a daunting trip to a free-scoring Liverpool side on Saturday.