Context is everything. West Ham must win this match, for it presents their sole realistic chance of success in a run that includes Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. Bolton, meanwhile, are in a run of games against fellow relegation-battlers, having beaten Wolves last week and with Sunderland and Wigan to come. So much for the context, what of the contest? On paper, there should be none: West Ham have conceded in one of their last five at home, Bolton have scored in none of their last five away. Simon Burnton

Venue Upton Park, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £35-51 (0871 222 2700)

Last season West Ham 1 Bolton 3

Referee L Probert

This season’s matches 15 Y52, R3, 3.67 cards per game

Odds West Ham 5-6 Bolton 4-1 Draw 13-5

West Ham

Subs from Kurucz, Stech, Da Costa, Stanislas, Daprela, Collison, Mido, Ilan, McCarthy, Dyer, Ngala

Doubtful Dyer (leg), McCarthy (knee)

Injured Gabbidon (hamstring, 13 Mar), Noble (arm, 13 Mar), Ilunga (calf, 20 Mar), Boa Morte (knee, Aug), Hines (knee, Aug), Davenport (legs, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide LWWLDD

Disciplinary record Y49 R3

Leading scorer Cole 9

Bolton

Subs from Al Habsi, Bogdan, Gardner, Weiss, Ward, Samuel, A O’Brien, Shittu, Riga, Cohen, Klasnic, Vaz Tê

Doubtful None

Injured Cahill (arm, 20 Mar), Basham (knee, Apr), Holden (broken leg, Apr), McCann (foot, Apr), Davis (knee, Aug), M Davies (ankle, unknown), J O’Brien (knee, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WLDLDL

Disciplinary record Y52 R2

Leading scorer Klasnic 6

Match pointers

• Three of the last four meetings between these sides in all competitions have finished 3-1 to Bolton

• West Ham have won one of their last 11 league meetings with Bolton (3-1 in May 2007), losing nine of the other 10

• Bolton have failed to score away from home in the Premier League for seven hours and two minutes

• If selected, Scott Parker will be making his 250th Premier League appearance

• 67% of Bolton’s goals have come from set-plays, the largest proportion in the Premier League

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• Former lawyer squeezed out in Gold and Sullivan takeover
• ‘The time is right for me to pursue other opportunities’

West Ham have confirmed the resignation of their chief executive, Scott Duxbury. The move comes as a result of this month’s takeover of the club by David Gold and David Sullivan, with Duxbury effectively being squeezed out when the owners brought in their former Birmingham colleague Karren Brady as vice-chairman.

“I am proud of my work at West Ham United, but feel the time is right for me to pursue other opportunities,” said Duxbury in a statement. “I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren great success in driving this wonderful football club forward, and I know under their stewardship the club will prosper. Thank you to all the supporters who have kept faith with the club through good and bad times.”

Duxbury joined West Ham as the club’s in-house lawyer under the then chairman Terry Brown, and was subsequently promoted to chief executive by Eggert Magnusson after the club was bought by an Icelandic group.

However, his time running the club was blighted by controversy, not least because of his role in signing Carlos Tevez in a deal which breached Premier League rules and will subsequently cost the club more than £30million in fines and compensation payments.

Brady said: “We thank Scott for his valued contribution and wish him every success in the future.”

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