West Ham: Alex Song not fit for Chelsea clash but returns to training at end of October

West Ham United midfielder Alex Song will not be in contention to make his return against Chelsea on 24 October but will return to training later in the month. Song returned to Upton Park in August after spending last season on loan at the club but has yet to make an appearance for them this term, having undergone ankle surgery before arriving back in east London.

West Ham revealed in early October that the Cameroon international was targeting a return to the first team for the visit of Chelsea. But the former Arsenal midfielder will have to wait for the trip to Watford on 31 October to make his return at the earliest.

"Alex Song has done very well and has completed most of his training with the rehab fitness coach. He will resume training next week," West Ham's head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke told the club's official website.

Manager Slaven Bilic will also be without defender Winston Reid and winger Victor Moses for the visit of Jose Mourinho's side. Reid suffered a hip problem that ruled him out of the 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace on 17 October, with James Collins likely to come in and replace him. "Winston Reid is out, he isn't going to make it for this game," Bilic told a press conference. "It is nothing major but he will not play. "All the others are back, Enner Valencia is back – he was on the bench against Palace. He could start, we will see."

Moses, on a season-long loan from the Premier League champions, is ineligible to play against his parent club.

The Hammers are flying high in the Premier League in fourth place having already claimed scalps against Arsenal and Liverpool this season. But despite their impressive start to the season, Bilic's side have won just one league game on their own turf.

Chelsea will arrive with their own poor record, having won just one of their last five games in all competitions and will travel to east London off the back of a trip to Kiev on 20 October.