Behrami thinking of Hammers.

(pictured), VALON Behrami admits West Ham's battle to climb the Barclays Premier League table will be on his mind while the midfielder is away on international duty with Switzerland.

The Irons slipped back into the bottom three of the Premier League following a first defeat in four matches after going down 2-1 at home to Everton last Sunday. Defiant manager Gianfranco Zola insists he will find the solutions needed to get the team out of the relegation zone when the domestic action resumes with a trip to fellow strugglers Hull on November 21. Behrami, 24, has only recently returned to action following six months out with a serious knee injury, and is determined to do all he can to help the Hammers turn things around.

"We have now got two weeks without a game and that means we are just thinking about it all the time," said Behrami, away with the Swiss team preparing for their friendly with Norway in Geneva. "It is frustrating and it is not a good moment for us, but at least the team is still alive.

"I am going to play for Switzerland for the first time in a while and for me it is not really the best time to go." Behrami (pictured), signed from Lazio in a pounds 5million deal during July 2008, added: "I really like to give all I have to West Ham. We need that and we need to do better than this."

Meanwhile, an announcement over the future of Dean Ashton is expected later this month. While Zola last week maintained he had not given up hope of seeing Ashton play again, it now seems likely the striker will be forced into early retirement because of his on-going ankle problem, the origins of which stem back to an injury suffered while on England duty during August 2006.