West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has been giving serious consideration to dropping error-prone goalkeeper Roberto for David Martin against Chelsea on Saturday.
Roberto has endured a torrid time since coming in for the injured Lukasz Fabianski in September and Pellegrini has faced calls from supporters to replace the veteran Spaniard.
Pellegrini has kept faith with Roberto despite his struggles, but he is now considering a change for the vital clash at Stamford Bridge.
Martin, who is the son of West Ham legend Alvin Martin, is yet to make an appearance for the club since he joined in the summer on a free transfer from Millwall.
A former England youth international who moved to Liverpool as a teenager and spent seven years at MK Dons, the 33-year-old has never played in the Premier League, but signed for West Ham after finishing last season strongly in the Championship.
Roberto has conceded 20 goals in eight appearances since replacing Fabianski in September.
The Chelsea game is the start of a pivotal run of games for Pellegrini, who is under pressure after West Ham slipped to 17th in the Premier League following a run of seven games without a win.
The West Ham board are determined to give Pellegrini time to turn things around and are desperate for him to arrest their recent slump.
However, a run of games against Chelsea, Wolves, Arsenal and Southampton before Christmas are likely to be a defining period for the Chilean.
Pellegrini is set to hand Michail Antonio his first start in more than three months after his impressive 45-minute cameo against Tottenham.
