West Ham face defensive crisis ahead of Newcastle match

West Ham defender James Collins (GETTY IMAGES)

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce could face a defensive crisis ahead of his side's Barclays Premier League match at Newcastle on Sunday.

Both James Collins and James Tomkins will have fitness tests tomorrow to determine whether they are available to play, otherwise Allardyce will be left with only one fit central defender in Winston Reid.

Full-back Guy Demel has returned to training following a hernia problem but Matthew Taylor (calf), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and Jack Collison (knee) remain sidelined.

Provisional squad: Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, O'Brien, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney, Demel, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Jarvis, Benayoun, Diarra, O'Neil, Maiga, Cole, Carroll, Spence.

PA