West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez partnership impossible

WEST HAM boss Slaven Bilic believes it is “almost impossible” to partner Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez in attack despite admitting goalscoring has been a problem this season.

00:13, Tue, Sep 19, 2017 | UPDATED: 00:13, Tue, Sep 19, 2017

Andy Carroll GETTY

Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez are West Ham's two strikers

The Hammers welcome Bolton to the London Stadium on Tuesday night for their Carabao Cup third-round clash, having scored just four league goals despite adding former Manchester United forward Hernandez to their ranks.

Hernandez has been operating on the right of a three-man attack since Carroll’s return, with plenty of West Ham fans calling for the pair to be deployed as a twosome.

Bilic, however, does not feel that is a viable option given the other players he has at his disposal.

“It is almost impossible,” he said. “It is very hard to put them in their ideal positions as two strikers, which looks good on paper. But you want to have a lot of them [best players] on the pitch at the same time.

“Of course I’m thinking about that. Chicharito is playing in a position which is not his position. I spoke with him, he’s a great lad... he’s doing a job of course.”

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It is very hard to put them in their ideal positions as two strikers
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic

Bilic has other problems too, with Manuel Lanzini set to be out for another month.

Lanzini has not been able to shake off a knee injury picked up in pre-season and, although he played against Newcastle last month, he broke down.

Now West Ham are taking no chances and Lanzini could be sidelined until the Burnley game on October 14, although Bilic has faint hope he will be available again against Swansea on September 30.

“He is still a little bit away from starting training,” said Bilic. “He’s doing everything but he is not training with us as in one movement he still feels it. It is only in one movement and we don’t want to risk.”