Report: West Ham's marquee trio slated to return

Languishing near the bottom of the Premier League table and mired in a disastrous run of form, West Ham is set for a massive boost with the returns of first-team standouts Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, and Cheikhou Kouyate.

The defensive-oriented trio have all returned to Hammers training and could be available for the weekend, according to a report by the Evening Standard's Ken Dyer.

The trio missed West Ham's last fixture, a 5-1 drubbing courtesy of Arsenal at the London Stadium. With a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, Slaven Bilic and Co. would greatly benefit from the return of their first-choice full-backs and the towering Kouyate.

Cresswell, who's been bothered by a groin concern, has been instrumental to West Ham's successes, prompting a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad. Like Cresswell, Antonio is a multifaceted full-back hampered by a groin injury whose run of form has merited international duties. Without the wide pairing, West Ham has appeared destined for the drop.

West Ham sits 17th, one point ahead of Sunderland and the perilous drop zone, with the Black Cats playing bottom side Swansea City on Saturday.