Slaven Bilic: Diafra Sakho free to play for West Ham despite police arrest

Diafra Sakho gave Arsenal defenders a torrid time on Sunday

DIAFRA SAKHO is in contention for a place against Leicester on Saturday after convincing Slaven Bilic that his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence will not affect his ability to play.

 

The Senegal international striker was detained last Thursday, ahead of the opening 2-0 win against West Ham, with police confirming that a man in Hornchurch had been arrested for common assault, criminal damage and malicious communication after an incident involved his girlfriend. He was bailed until late September.

At this point, he faces no censure whatsoever from club – the West Ham manager’s only concern was that events had not affected his ability to perform come matchday.

“He’s training and he played against Arsenal, and he was here every day since,” Bilic said. “He looks okay. He looks happy and he is not worried. For all those things I am happy.

 

Olivier Giroud of Arsenal under pressure from Reece Oxford of West Ham

“For all the other aspects of this problem, you should talk to Diafra.

“I was concerned and spoke to him but he looks very positive and he is not worried about it. Therefore – as he trained normally this week – I am happy with him.”

The new boss has less time for Morgan Amalfitano, who remains frozen out of the picture after Bilic identified him as a disruptive influence in the dressing room.

“I said what I said,” Bilic said. “I have to protect the team and I said that at the start. It is the same at every football club. My first job is to protect the team and keep the team as a unit in the best possible way. If I feel that somebody is damaging it in that way I have to react and I have done that.

 

“It was nothing like appeared in the papers – brawling in front of the players – but a quiet meeting between the two of us where I explained the situation. But I had to do it to keep the harmony and keep everything in place.

“He is not training with the first team – that is it.”

It leaves West Ham short of attacking options and they have been linked with Javier Hernandez and Andros Townsend, as well as goalkeeper Rob Green. But Bilic was keeping tight-lipped on what progress the club has been able to make.

 

“It is not for me to say,” he said. “I can just repeat what we said a week ago. We are trying to sign one or two, not five. But it is not easy. It gets you frustrated but then you see all the clubs are trying to sign players and even the clubs who have no limit budget-wise are struggling, especially for strikers. They are not easy to find.

“Even if we don’t get one, we will be okay, but we must then be lucky with injuries.”

Hernandez is the no. 1 target, although word from Old Trafford is that the Manchester United striker is not for sale.

“Some people think he is not for sale, other people think he is not for sale until they buy,” Bilic countered. “There are too many ifs and buts. We will see. But he is a good player.”