Robert Snodgrass is yet to score for West Ham United but boss Slaven Bilic has hailed the midfielder’s impact since arriving in east London in January.

The Scotland international signed for the Hammers from Hull City, who he is set to face this weekend, for £10.2m after a fine first half of the campaign – which saw him score 12 times.

Snodgrass boasts a wand of a left foot but he is yet to get off the mark in Hammers colours however, Bilic is not concerned and only has good things to say about the 28-year-old.

“He started really well for us and is a player that we wanted,” Bilic confirmed.

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“He has got everything, a great left foot, not only for set-pieces but in general. He’s a creative player and the amount of running he does is very good.

“He runs a lot at high intensity, which is the most important one.

“Like any other player, he also needs time to adjust to the new players and the new environment. I am happy with Snoddy and he’s going to be a big asset for us.

“He is still looking for his first goal for us, but hopefully he’s going to do it on Saturday. It wouldn’t be the first time for a player who goes back and plays his first game against his old club.

“His game is not about scoring goals, though, he’s more about creating chances.”

Sam Allardyce has paid tribute to striker Christian Benteke for the sacrifice he has made at Crystal Palace this season, admitting the Belgian has suffered by the Eagles’ desire to spread chances around.

Benteke arrived at Selhurst Park last summer from Liverpool and has scored nine goals in the league so far this season.

That’s the same number he managed in a year with Liverpool, but he has been unable to rediscover the prolific form that saw him reach double figures in each of his three seasons at Aston Villa, including 19 in his first.

But at Palace he has had to be patient when it comes to getting chances and Allardyce believes it’s a mark of the 26-year-old that he has been willing to put the team’s needs before his own.

He said: “He’s had to make a sacrifice in that the goals have not been quite as fluent for him as they were before I arrived. Him using the word ‘sacrifice’ is nice to hear because it shows that he’s not selfish.

“He’s disappointed that he’s not scoring goals at the moment but I wouldn’t say it’s because of my over-defensive tactics but it’s more that we have to get better in the final third creating chances, not just for him but all the team. We get there but I don’t think we’re as creative or as clinical as we should be.

“From Christian’s point, it’s very frustrating for him because he hasn’t put the ball in the back of the net since Bournemouth. He’s had opportunities and they’ve come and gone, and hopefully they will arrive at the right time for us, which is in the next ten games.

“If we are to stay up then we need to get Christian scoring again, and I would hope he could bag five or six goals in the next 10 games to try and help the problem we’re in.”

Michael Keane’s progression to the international stage has been no surprise to former teammate Kieran Trippier, who could face the Burnley centre-back this weekend with current side Tottenham.

Trippier spent three seasons on Turf Moor before heading to White Hart Lane in 2015, but could make his return this weekend as Spurs travel to Burnley.

Since his departure, Keane has established himself as first choice in the centre of Sean Dyche’s defence, while he also got his first international cap last week, playing the full 90 minutes in a friendly with Germany.

A graduate of the Manchester United academy, Keane was on-loan at Burnley while Trippier was there, before making his move permanent at the same time the full-back headed down to London.

But even in that short spell Keane did enough to convince Trippier of his potential and that he will be a key figure this weekend.

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Trippier said: “He was on loan at first, he wasn’t really playing when I was there because we had a centre-back, Michael Duff, who was playing at the time but then when he came in and got his chance, he kept his shirt.

“He’s still a very young lad, I’ve spoken to a lot of people about him and when I played with him, I knew he was going to go all the way to the top.

“It’s no surprise that he’s got his England debut and played his first two games for England. Keano is a very good player and I wish him all the best.”

Swansea are targeting a fourth home victory in a row on Sunday, and manager Paul Clement believes the returns of Martin Olsson and Kyle Naughton will be key.

Both defenders have been unavailable in recent weeks due to injury and will be valuable additions to a squad which has lost their last two games at Hull City and Bournemouth.

The Swans have nine Premier League games left this season and Clement revealed that all his international players have returned to the Swans’ training base in good health.

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“They [Olsson and Naughton] are both now fit,” Clement said. “They are both in very good shape – they look strong and hungry to get back into the team.

“We have missed them because they have been influential not only in terms of defending but particularly attacking from their positions. We are very happy to have them back.”

Swansea go into the weekend on 27 points, three points clear of the relegation places, and Clement explained that the Swans believe 42 is the magic number.

“The highest number of points a team has gone down with is 42, so we have got to try to get more than that,” Clement said.

“We had a meeting this week and spoke about some of the things we need to do on Sunday. We have been working hard to prepare for Middlesbrough and the players will be ready. It’s then a question of delivering.”

Middlesbrough midfielder Marten de Roon claims the new coaching setup at the club has given the team a new attitude in the battle for Premier League survival.

Following Aitor Karanka’s departure in mid-March, head coach Steve Agnew has taken over the reins and added coaches Jonathan Woodgate, Joe Jordan and Paul Jenkins to the staff.

Boro go into this weekend on 22 points, five from safety, and travel to fellow strugglers Swansea City in what looks to be a crucial game in the battle to avoid relegation.

The Teesiders have not played for a fortnight, with the international break taking over last weekend, and de Roon said the key point from Agnew in that time has been one of positivity.

“His message is to believe in staying up,” De Roon said.

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“We have to play as a team and work for each other and the results will come. It’s all about reaching above that line come the end of the season.

“It’s good that he [Agnew] knows the area, he knows the club and he knows the players and how we play.

“There have been changes, and there are new people around the team. Jonathan Woodgate is a familiar face but he was a world class player. Joe Jordan I think it’s a similar story.

“A new manager means a new attitude and new chances. Maybe the players who had not being playing are a little bit more alive.

“We’ll do things a little bit different but I think we’re in a good way.”

Everton skipper Phil Jagielka admits preparation for tomorrow’s Merseyside derby has not been ideal, but remains positive about his side’s chances at Anfield against Liverpool.

The Blues have lost two defenders with Ramiro Funes Mori likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury and Seamus Coleman out with a broken leg sustained while on international duty with Republic of Ireland.

But fellow defender Jagielka is not too concerned and says the derby day will take care of itself.

“It’s something to look forward to, it’s a massive week ahead and the excitement will build as it gets closer to Saturday lunchtime,” he said.

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“It’s been a bit strange with the international break coming along and making the build-up to the derby that bit longer than it normally is and then, unfortunately, the games haven’t been too kind to us in terms of losing players.”

The last time the two teams met in the Premier League, back in December, Liverpool were the victors and Everton have not won the derby since October 2010.

The Toffees’ skipper is optimistic though and believes a solid performance tomorrow lunchtime is crucial ahead of tough fixtures against Manchester United and Leicester in the coming weeks.

“It’s hard to look past the derby,” he said.

“We need to try to keep up the fight as long as possible and the only way we can do that is by having positive results against the teams in and around us.

“We’re in a pretty good run of form and, take away the injuries, the camp is positive and confident and we’ll need that going to a difficult place.”

Leicester’s Marc Albrighton says the side are determined to secure their spot in next year’s Premier League as they return from the international break.

The Foxes have won their last four games, meaning Craig Shakespeare remains unbeaten in all competitions since succeeding Claudio Ranieri as the club’s manager.

For winger Albrighton, Leicester’s packed April fixture schedule, eight games starting with Stoke City at King Power Stadium on Saturday, will be decisive for their future in the Premier League.

“The lads were ready for a break and we know we’ve got a lot of games this coming month that are going to be massively important,” Albrighton said.

“It’s going to shape our season and the sooner we can secure our safety the better. It’s our main focus – especially this coming week.”

(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Shakespeare’s side are currently sitting at 15^th and six points clear of the drop zone, but a win this weekend could see them climb above Burnley and Watford.

And Albrighton admits that two consecutive home games against the Potters and Sunderland will have a huge bearing on his team’s survival hopes.

“It could go a long way in making sure we’re safe, but also it could go the other way if we don’t get the results we want,” he admitted.

“We’ve just got to be ready – with the break we’ve had, we’ve got no excuses.”

Paul Scholes is confident Manchester United can win the Europa League and finish in the top four, as they chase Champions League football on both fronts this season.

The intense fight for a top-four place in the Premier League is gathering pace with the end of the campaign in sight, but United know it may not be a disaster if they fail to overhaul the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

They can still qualify for Europe’s premier competition with victory in the Europa League and they face Anderlecht in the quarter-finals next month.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, United have finished in the top four just once.

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But Scholes, who spent his entire career at Old Trafford, likes what he has seen under manager Jose Mourinho and expects him to deliver the goods.

“It has to be one of those ways but I think, both ways, they will do it,” he said.

“The league is going to be tough and they have got three crucial away games at Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City.

“If they can come out of them with five, possibly six points, then I think it will be very good and that will set them up for the top four.

“With the Europa League, I think they are rightly favourites. They are by far the biggest club left in it and have probably got the best squad.

“Lyon could potentially be the team they have to worry about and it is not going to be straightforward, but they have got a great chance of winning the Europa League.”

Markus Henriksen has urged Marco Silva to throw him at the deep end now he is fit and firing, as Hull City’s relegation battle intensifies.

The 24-year-old has missed the last two months of action with a shoulder injury sustained in the EFL Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

The midfielder missed 11 games in all competitions but with influential midfielder Tom Huddlestone suspended, Henriksen is in line for a possible recall against West Ham on Saturday.

Hull sit 18^th in the Premier League table, three points off safety and have won just one of their last five league games.

But Henriksen is confident of survival, and says he is now ready to made a vital contribution.

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“The shoulder now is absolutely good,” he said.

“I’ve trained for two weeks without any problems so at the moment I’m 100 per cent ready to go.

“Luckily I was able to keep my shape up. I feel ready to show the manager that I’m ready to play. I’ve told him that everything feels good and I’m fit to go.

“It has been a little bit difficult for my first season in English football, it took time to really settle.

“But I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I know I still have much more to show and I’m looking forward to hopefully doing that.

“Tom [Huddlestone] has been one of our best players in the last 10-15 games.

“He will be a big loss for us during his suspension, but we have players wanting to come in and make an impression. If given the opportunity, hopefully I can come in and do a great job for the team as well.”

Dusan Tadic believes injured Southampton team-mate Virgil van Dijk can achieve great things in the game upon his return.

Saints skipper van Dijk is recovering from a nasty knee injury sustained against Leicester City in January.

But Tadic, who played with van Dijk at Groningen as well as at current club Southampton, believes the big clubs in the league will soon bid for the Dutchman.

And the Serbian winger admits he hopes van Dijk can be patient and wait for the big offers to come when he returns to full fitness, the date of which is uncertain after manager Claude Puel admitted his recovery would be lengthy.

“Back then, you could see that he would become a very good player and we have missed him a lot [in the past few months]. I hope he can recover quickly and that he will keep playing how he was playing.

“I am not surprised [that big teams want Van Dijk].There are not so many choices [for top defenders]. He is a very good player and I hope he will recover well and keep playing well for Southampton.

“I think he is a clever boy and that he needs to be calm and work on recovering and then everything will come into place. You need to be professional and then everything that he wishes will happen.

“I miss him a lot. He was an important player on the pitch and we are very close.”