Carroll close to comeback

The striker is yet to appear for the 'Hammers' this season after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season, though now has returned to first-team training.

Speaking to the club's official website, Pellegrini remarked: "Andy is close to playing again. 

"At the start of last week he started working a little bit with the squad, not 100 per cent, and he will work again this week.

"On Thursday we will play a friendly game and we'll see if he can play some minutes, and I think in the second week of the international break Jack Wilshere will also be able to work with the squad."

West Ham drew 1-1 with Huddersfield on Saturday and face the visit of Manchester City after the international break, though the Chilean believes they are moving in the right direction.

 "I prefer teams that start the game thinking to win it and not just to have a good result, no matter who you're playing.

"That's why I try to put creative and technical players in the starting XI and maybe, in the beginning, it's not so easy to trust in what you're doing, especially in teams that are not used to playing that way, but I think that we are improving a lot.

"At the end of the season this team will be in a better position that it is at the moment and we will always think with a winning mentality to get as high in the table as we can."