A Bridge too far for Ilunga?

Herita Ilunga could be set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after it was revealed that West Ham were interested in bringing back Wayne Bridge on loan.

The former England international was a £10million signing for Manchester City just two years ago but failed to nail down a first team spot at the CoMS. Bridge spent the latter half of the 2010/11 campaign at the Boleyn Ground and is available for loan once again.

A 'Hammers source' told ESPN tonight that West Ham had made enquiries into the 31-year-old's availability, but that any move depended on the player's desire to drop a division in order to feature in the Championship.

News of interest in re-signing Bridge - combined with Sam Allardyce's decision to keep faith with George McCartney, despite the Irishman still being short of full match fitness - almost certainly means that Ilunga's days as a first team player are numbered.

The Congolese defender - whose four-year contract with the Hammers runs until summer 2013 - was reported to have refused to accept a loan move to Celtic during the recent transfer window.

Sam Allardyce is understood to have been keen to offload Ilunga - who was left out of today's 16-man squad - having been disappointed by a string of poor performances by the 29-year-old in the opening games of the season.

The left-back had only just won his place back in the side having been given a second chance by Allardyce following his omission from Avram Grant's 25-man squad for the latter half of the 2010/11 Premier League campaign.