Chris Hughton has insisted Newcastle United have no need for a management trouble-shooter to help guide the crisis-hit Premier League club through its current turmoil.

Former Leeds United manager David O'Leary and Alan Curbishley, who recently resigned at Saturday's opponents West Ham, have both been linked with taking charge at St James' Park on a temporary basis.

With billionaire owner Mike Ashley having put the club up for sale, insisting he's been driven out by fan power in the wake of the adverse reaction from supporters to Kevin Keegan's claims he was effectively forced out of the manager's job, the Tyneside club is in flux on and off the field.

Despite the raft of backroom departures since Keegan's resignation a fortnight ago, caretaker boss Hughton claims his three-man coaching team can cope with the task of preparing the team ahead of the visit to east London, which will be the first game in charge for new Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola.

Former West Ham defender Hughton, who is being assisted by academy chief Richard Money and coach Alan Thompson, said: "If I look at where we're at, there's myself with the first team assisted by Richard and Alan. From a manpower point of view we're able to cope at the moment."

Hughton, who says he will not be applying for the permanent job, admits that he is unable to predict how long he will be at the helm for.

He added: "Who knows how long it could be before a permanent manager comes in? It could be next week, it could be next month, I don't know.

"My position is that I'm the temporary manager looking after the team and all that goes with it until told otherwise. It's important we start to get some stability at the club and the sooner a decision is made on the manager, the better."

Newcastle have a lengthy injury list for their trip to Upton Park, where they are unbeaten for almost seven years.

Damien Duff and Obafemi Martins are both close to a return after lay-offs, but Alan Smith, who Hughton confirmed will be out for three months after surgery to correct shin splints, Habib Beye, Mark Viduka, Jose Enrique and Jonas Gutierrez are all unavailable.

In addition, Joey Barton and Danny Guthrie are suspended. There was brighter news for new West Ham manager Zola, who will be without England forward Dean Ashton for a week due to an ankle injury, rather than a month as at first feared.

The Italian, who will be joined in the dug-out by his assistant Steve Clarke following the Scot's move from Chelsea, has this week been concentrating on his squad's fitness after being concerned at the way they faded towards the end of the 3-2 Premier League defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

Wales international Craig Bellamy remains an injury doubt, and Zola said: "If the team hadn't tired at West Brom we wouldn't have lost. Up to 70 minutes they were very good and looked the better team.

"The last 20 minutes they went down physically and when you do that you also lose attention and that's why we conceded a third goal. We've already started working on that and the players are responding very well.

"The training sessions have been spot on and the players have been very committed. Today, for example, it should have been an easy session but they wanted to push it all the time. I'm very pleased, it's the kind of attitude every manager hopes for.

"My system is that I like to train a lot with the ball and with a lot of intensity in the sessions. My sessions are very demanding but they're always with the ball and always with a lot of enjoyment. The players have already said to me they like them.

"They're not longer than an hour and a half, but they're very sharp. I like to work without a ball as little as possible. Every training session has a physical part as well as a technical and tactical part. We try to do the physical part with a ball so the players work hard but don't think they are."

AFP