Bentley returns to Spurs after operation

West Ham’s on-loan midfielder David Bentley has returned to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur after suffering a knee injury last week in training.

The 27-year-old midfielder underwent exploratory keyhole surgery on his knee on Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage.

The Hammers are still waiting to be informed of the seriousness of the injury, but it is clear that Bentley’s time at West Ham appears to be over.

The midfielder made five appearances in total for the Hammers during his short spell at the club, but will be most remembered for his awful miss at Millwall earlier in the season, when he screwed his effort wide.

Meanwhile, there was better news regarding the fitness of Matt Taylor, who is back in training and hoping to prove his fitness in time for Saturday’s visit of Blackpool.

However, Joey O’Brien may miss the game with a tight hamstring, meaning Julien Faubert could retain his place at right back, with Freddie Sears or Jack Collison replacing Bentley on the right-hand side.

Mark Noble is fit again, but may struggle to win his place back ahead of Papa Bouba Diop, while Guy Demel is only considered fit enough for a possible place on the bench.