West Ham United have suffered a major blow ahead of their crucial clash with Everton as manager Julen Lopetegui confirmed that striker Niclas Fullkrug is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
Lopetegui revealed in his pre-match press conference that Fullkrug’s latest setback is more serious than initially anticipated.
“Fullkrug is out,” Lopetegui said (via the Evening Standard). “He’s not working with us, so I think he is going to be out for a lot of time more, unfortunately,
“I am not a doctor, I don’t know. He started with a little injury, and step by step, it’s more complicated.”
The news is a significant setback for West Ham, who are already struggling in 14th in the Premier League.
The Hammers’ hapless 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest over the weekend means they have been beaten in five of their ten league matches this season, collecting just 11 points.
Lopetegui is now faced with the challenge of finding a suitable replacement for Fullkrug, with Michail Antonio the most likely candidate to lead the line.
Everton won on their last visit to the London Stadium and will be motivated to leapfrog West Ham in the standings.
West Ham will also be without Mohammed Kudus after his moment of madness against Tottenham Hotspur.
He received a red card, an additional two-game ban, and a fine from the Football Association (FA).
Fullkrug's Injury Woes Continue
Julen Lopetegui has dropped a new Niclas Fullkrug injury update ahead of West Ham United’s clash with Everton.
The Hammers welcome Sean Dyche’s side to the London Stadium on Saturday (9 November) with the pressure mounting on Lopetegui after a miserable start to the Premier League campaign.
While the Irons will have to make do without the suspended Mohammed Kudus, they will also be without Fullkrug after Lopetegui confirmed the German international will be sidelined for a while longer yet.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference (7 November) he said: “Fullkrug is out, he’s not working with us so I think he is going to be out for a lot of time more unfortunately.
“I am not a doctor I don’t know. He started with a little injury and step by step it’s more complicated and it is true that now with the new treatment, he will be out for the next two or three weeks, but I don’t know exactly.”
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Lopetegui, the Hammers and Fullkrug at this moment in time.
The German striker arrived in East London with so much promise this summer having impressed both at the Euros and in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, but so far, he has failed to impress in claret and blue.
Tim Steidten and Lopetegui always ran this risk when they decided to spend big on a striker with a less-than-impressive injury record heading into the back end of his career, but no one could have expected Fullkrug’s fitness woes to be this severe.
Lopetegui isn’t blessed with loads of depth at the top end of the field and it will be interesting to see who he turns to against Everton. On the face of it, Michail Antonio is the obvious starter, but he could play Jarrod Bowen out of position as he did against Forest.
Whoever leads the line for West Ham, they need to find a way to win. If they don’t, Lopetegui could well pay with his job.
West Ham's Transfer Blunder?
Manager Julen Lopetegui revealed in his pre-match press conference today that Fullkrug’s latest setback is more serious than initially anticipated.
“Fullkrug is out. He’s not working with us, so I think he is going to be out for a lot of time more, unfortunately,” Lopetegui said (via the Evening Standard). “I am not a doctor, I don’t know. He started with a little injury, and step by step, it’s more complicated.”
The German international’s persistent injury woes have left the Hammers short-manned in attack, and his latest setback is a frustrating blow to the club’s hopes of climbing the Premier League table.
The Hammers have a must-win clash against Everton this weekend. They are 14th on the league log with 11 points after ten games.
The 31-year-old is yet to start a Hammers league game, making three substitute appearances. His inability to stay fit has severely limited his impact.
West Ham must address their striker shortage with the January transfer window on the horizon. Michail Antonio has been a loyal servant to the club, but his form has been inconsistent.
Jarrod Bowen, while talented, is not a natural striker. The Hammers need a reliable goalscorer to alleviate the pressure on Antonio and Bowen.
Several potential options should be explored in the winter transfer market. Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has found game time hard in Merseyside and could be tempted with a guaranteed starting berth.
Lille forward Jonathan David is another option. The Canadian’s contract expires in 2025, and the Hammers might tempt Les Dogues to sell in January with a cheeky bid.
West Ham cannot afford another misstep in the transfer market. The club needs to learn from the Fullkrug debacle and bring in a striker who can make an immediate impact.
Lopetegui's Unwavering Confidence
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 15:00)
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Loptegui confirmed that Niclas Fullkrug is still unavailable for selection: “Fullkrug isn't ready. He isn't working with us and is going to be out for more time unfortunately. We have to check other issues tomorrow.”
He gave more detail on the recovery process: “He has a little injury that step by step is more complicated. With the new treatment, he has to be out for the next two or three weeks but I don't know exactly. It depends how he responds to the treatment.”
He did not want to dwell on the extended ban for forward Mohammed Kudus: “It's not good news but we have to accept it. I prefer to focus on the players who will play on Saturday.”
On whether he has had conversations with the West Ham hierarchy about the club's poor form: “I don't need to. I know that we are going to improve in a lot of things and overcome. We have the commitment of the players.”
On his messages to his players: “We talk a lot and they know we have to put the focus on competing better. We have big trust and confidence in the players. We don't want to put the focus on [unavailable] players like Fullkrug, Kudus and Edson [Alvarez].
On his opponents: “I have seen a very good team when I look at them. They look better than last year in my opinion. They have a good team and a coach who knows the Premier League very well. It's a very balanced and complete team.”
Lopetegui's Dilemma
The £27m striker was injured in September while on international duty with Germany and hasn’t been seen since. What was initially believed to be a relatively minor injury has now led Fullkrug to make two trips back to his homeland in an effort to secure a diagnosis and treatment.
This raises the possibility that West Ham’s big signing from Dortmund may never make a starting appearance under Lopetegui, especially if the Hammers’ head coach loses to Everton.
Reports that Fullkrug would not return until December are now looking frighteningly accurate. This timeline, however, may be too late for Lopetegui, who admitted he knows very little about the player’s recovery: “Fullkrug is out. He is working with us, but he will unfortunately be unavailable. We have Kudus and Alvarez out after their red cards, but we will have to assess the rest of the squad.”
“I don’t know how long Fullkrug will be out. He started with a small injury, but it has become more complicated,” Lopetegui told the assembled press. “He will be out for the next two or three weeks, but I don’t know exactly. It depends on how he responds to treatment, so we’ll see.”
The Future of Lopetegui?
In other West Ham news, the club have made their decision on sacking Lopetegui regardless of the Everton result.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
West Ham Handed Injury Boost
[The West Ham Way
West Ham handed a huge injury boost ahead of Everton clash.](https://www.thewesthamway.com/2024/11/09/absolutely-huge-west-ham-handed-injury-boost-ahead-of-everton-clash/)
Despite not having too many injury problems this season, West Ham could potentially be without some key players this weekend.
Julen Lopetegui suggested in his press conference that there have been some issues ahead of the Everton clash, and it remains to be seen whether or not those unnamed players will actually be unavailable.
However, the Hammers aren’t the only ones with injury problems and they’ve been handed a potentially massive boost by way of a Dwight McNeil injury, Liverpool Echo reports.
In 10 Premier League games, McNeil has contributed to 6 goals, making him one of the Toffees’ best players this season. By losing him they lose out on a huge attacking threat and one of their key creative outlets.
If he is unable to play, Everton could find themselves struggling to carve out chances despite the Irons’ awful defensive record this season.
Reports suggest that it’s a must win game for Lopetegui, so any advantage he can get is absolutely huge.
