Blow for Hammers as skipper Upson is ruled out for rest of the season

By Laura Williamson for MailOnline
Updated: 03:25 EDT, 21 February 2011

EXCLUSIVE

Out of the game: Matthew Upson (left) limped out of the clash against Birmingham 15 days ago

West Ham captain Matthew Upson is out for the rest of the season with a damaged achilles.

The club have been told that the former England defender, who is out of contract in the summer, will play no further part in their battle for Premier League survival.

It leaves manager Avram Grant and defensive coach Wally Downes with limited options - Portuguese Manuel Da Costa, homegrown James Tomkins and New Zealand signing Winston Reid.

Upson, who is 31 and has been capped 21 times, limped off in the 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham 15 days ago when he played despite fears about his injury.

The gamble backfired and the Hammers, who play Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a quarter-final visit to Stoke at stake, must continue without their most experienced defender.

Midfielder Scott Parker will be the skipper for the rest of the season.

While Grant has defensive problems, he is hoping January signing Demba Ba will turn out to be the new Didier Drogba up front.

The real Drogba may be finding life suddenly not what it used to be at Chelsea but Senegal international Ba, 25, has already made an impact since signing from German side Hoffenheim with two goals on his first start.

Big impression: Demba Ba scored two goals on his debut for West Ham

That was at West Bromwich last week, when a 3-0 half-time deficit was turned into a 3-3 draw, and Ba will look to continue that form at Upton Park.

Grant said: 'Is he like Drogba? Yes. He is a good player. I followed him for a long time in the German league. It is very difficult to mark him and he hits the target. He can play anywhere - right, left, behind. He's not in the best shape yet but we are building him slowly.'

Ba scored 37 goals in just under 100 games for Hoffenheim but a knee problem saw moves to Stuttgart and then Stoke collapse because of failed medicals.

Yet that was good news as far as Grant was concerned as it meant the player was now in West Ham's price bracket, with a £6million deal concluded with the Bundesliga side.

Grant said: 'His value was £15m but because he has knee problems we could take him. For the first time an injury helped me!'

Ba is delighted to be playing regularly again. He said: 'At the moment, I'm excited about every game we play.'

Ross Wallace, meanwhile, only has to think back to the day he got the silent treatment from Roy Keane to know how much West Ham will hurt if Burnley win.

The Burnley winger played alongside Keane when Celtic were beaten 2-1 by Clyde in 2006.

'It's a horrible feeling when you get beaten by a lower league side,' said Wallace.

'I know from experience. Roy Keane made his debut and it was live on TV. He was really quiet afterwards.

'I'd rather have had him ranting as the really quiet ones are the worst.'