Lukasz Fabianski injury latest ahead of West Ham vs Liverpool

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Lukasz Fabianski remains a major doubt for West Ham’s Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday but Julen Lopetegui insists Alphonse Areola is ready to deputise.

The 39-year-old was forced off in the first half of West Ham’s 1-0 win against Southampton on Boxing Day following a collision with Nathan Wood.

Fabianski required oxygen and seven minutes of treatment before he left the pitch on a stretcher.

Areola was brought on to replace Fabianski and the French goalkeeper could now start for West Ham’s match at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool this weekend.

‘I said before, today he had the possibility to play, that’s why I highlighted the mentality of the bench players,’ Lopetegui said.

‘Alphonse showed that he was ready, [Jean-Clair] Todibo showed he was ready, Edson [Alvarez] showed that he was ready, and the rest too with [Aaron] Cresswell, he was injured for two weeks, today [against Southampton] he played in one key moment of the match, with Vladi [Coufal] and [Crysencio] Summerville.

‘We need this team mentality. All of them are going to be actors, sometimes more or less, but we are going to use all of them.

‘Today [against Southampton] if Todibo is not ready, maybe we lose the match, or Alphonse. That’s why we need this team mentality to face this challenge.’

Speaking about Fabianski’s collision immediately after West Ham’s win over Southampton, Lopetegui said: ‘He had one big knock around the head, around the neck and he was not very sure about his actions.

‘Fortunately the news is he is talking, he is alert, he is conscious.

‘I spoke with him, the doctors say that he feels better and well. I am positive with him.

‘He showed he more or less recovered his sense. I am not afraid. We feared but now he is better and it is a positive feeling because we were very worried.’

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