Two out of three aint bad

Lucas Neill will be out for no more than three weeks, according to club physio Steve Allen.

Neill sprained his right ankle during the first half of Saturday's FA Cup fourth round defeat against Watford, and it had been rumoured that he may have been out of action for up to six weeks.

However Allen - speaking on whufc.com this afternoon - confirmed that Neill should miss no more than the next three games - against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Watford, with a scheduled return for the vital trip to Charlton on 24th February.

"Lucas suffered an inversion sprain to his right ankle," said Allen. "His estimated recovery time is two to three weeks - but we are hopeful that he could be back sooner."

There was further good news for Alan Curbishley on the injury front when it was revealed that Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez is once again fit for selection after missing the last two games with a calf problem, sustained during the 3-3 draw with Fulham earlier this month.

However that postive news was tempered somewhat by the revelation that long-term casualty Dean Ashton - who last kicked a ball for the Hammers in the pre-season friendly against Olympiakos - is now likely to be out until early March after experiencing 'minor complications'.

Steve Allen once again:

"Alan Watson [a sports rehab specialist] discovered an area of scar tissue which was impinging on the front of Dean's ankle, causing him discomfort when running at a certain pace.

"This has subsequently been injected under an ultra-sound scan, and Dean is now to rest for four days before being re-assessed when he hopes he will be given the all-clear to resume his fitness work and push on to full training."