Emerson & Fullkrug doubtful for Chelsea clash Lopetegui confirms
Today at 12:49 PM
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has confirmed that Emerson and Niclas Fullkrug may not feature in Saturday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea.
The Hammers are desperate for their first home win of the season, having suffered defeats to Aston Villa and Manchester City at the London Stadium. The Irons have secured a win and a draw away from home, but our home form needs to improve.
Emerson played a crucial role in West Ham’s 1-1 draw against Fulham last weekend but was forced off with a knock shortly before the hour mark. The former Chelsea defender may be unavailable to face his old side.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t a big knock for Emerson,” Lopetegui stated in his pre-match press conference (via WHUFC.com) “It’s still Thursday, so there is still time where we need to review things. We will evaluate him again tomorrow (Friday) and see where we are.”
Meanwhile, German international Fullkrug has been carrying an Achilles tendon and calf muscle injury sustained during international duty. The 31-year-old missed the Fulham match, and his participation in Saturday’s game remains doubtful.
Lopetegui said he will evaluate all his players closely before making a final decision. “We are trying to recover all the players, and we have to wait until the day before the game to know more about all of them,” he added.
West Ham’s £27 million injury-prone gamble
West Ham took a massive gamble splurging £27 million to purchase Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund, but it has not paid dividends.
The former Werder Bremen star has struggled to stay fit since arriving in east London, and there are serious questions about the club’s decision-making.
West Ham needed a younger, fresh option to lead the frontline, especially with Michail Antonio looking off-form. The decision to sign Fullkrug was not the wisest the club made this summer, and it is coming back to haunt us barely weeks after the window closed.
