Watford v West Ham

Watford will be without goalkeeper Mart Poom and winger Jobi McAnuff for the Carling Cup visit of Premier League side West Ham.
Poom lasted just four minutes of the controversial 2-2 draw with Reading on Saturday before dislocating his shoulder in a challenge with Kevin Doyle, while McAnuff limped out of the second half with a back strain.

Hornets manager Adrian Boothroyd has seen his side depleted by injury over the last few weeks and is struggling to fill the seven-man bench for the cup tie.

Scott Loach will start in goal while Lionel Ainsworth could come in for McAnuff.

Right-back Lloyd Doyley and striker Tamas Priskin both picked up hamstring injuries in the 2-1 home defeat to Plymouth last week and are set for a month on the sidelines.

Grzegorz Rasiak is facing at least another month out after breaking a bone in his shoulder and left-back Mat Sadler is out for a similar length of time with a knee injury.

West Ham will rest Carlton Cole as the striker has a slight foot injury.

Dean Ashton (ankle) is still sidelined, along with fellow forward Craig Bellamy (hamstring/groin), so youngster Freddie Sears could be handed the chance to impress.

Defenders Danny Gabbidon (groin) and Jonathan Spector (thigh) remain sidelined, while midfielder Kieron Dyer continues his rehabilitation after a broken leg.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Robert Green is in no doubt Gianfranco Zola can deliver the entertaining football all West Ham fans crave - but warned his team-mates to expect a whole new ball game at Watford.

The Italian got his reign off to the perfect start with a 3-1 victory over crisis-club Newcastle at Upton Park on Saturday, where on-loan striker David di Michele grabbed a debut brace.

England keeper Green believes the ex-Chelsea midfielder - who took over from Alan Curbishley when he quit after a row with the board concerning player transfers - will bring a "new directive'' to the east London club.

"It is a new manager and there is fresh impetus, a new directive,'' said Green.

"Everyone wants to impress, all of a sudden it is a fresh slate and you have a job to keep your job.

"Everyone wants to do well, no-one wants to come in and do badly, so it is just an added impetus.''

Green added: "The manager has come in and brought his new ideas and new ways of playing, as well as new thoughts.

"It is just a different thought process and a different way of doing things.

"Sometimes it is better, sometimes it does not work, but the lads want it to work and want to work for him.

"Everyone saw against Newcastle we had chances to score goals and hopefully the more we play and the more the ideas come across the more chances we will get.

"More exciting football is what we all crave and hopefully that will come across.''

Green, 28, moved to West Ham from Norwich in a £2million deal in August 2006.

During his time at Carrow Road as a young keeper, he worked with now Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd, who was Academy coach at the Norfolk club.

Green knows full well what the Barclays Premier League high-fliers can expect tomorrow night.

"They have a set way of playing and it is not easy to play against,'' he said.

"We will have to go there with a few boys who have never played there before and it could be a welcome to Championship football.

"It will be different for them. I am not sure it will be a welcome change - they will come off with a few bruises. These guys possibly won't have come up against anything like it, but I am sure it is going to be a bit of fun for them.

"It is going to be a tough game, they will definitely be up for it.''

Green added: "Knowing Aidy and the way he likes his team to play, he will give it a real good go.

"But what we have shown is that with our footballing ability we can cause teams problems and hopefully that will be the same on Tuesday."