It’s not an international break until the fans are sweating about the fitness of one of their players, as was the case with West Ham United and Niclas Fullkrug following his withdrawal from Germany duty.
It emerged on Thursday that Fullkrug had suffered a calf injury which would rule him out of the shock 2-0 defeat by Slovakia later in the day.
With Newcastle United’s mega-money centre-forward Nick Woltemade providing serious competition for a starting berth these days, this was a blow the West Ham United frontman really could have done without.
Especially as Niclas Fullkrug’s fine record at international level is clearly the biggest reason why he remains such a key part of Julian Nagelsmann’s plans, amid his continued underwhelming displays in the Premier League.
The £27 million signing from Borussia Dortmund has started every one of the Hammers’ league matches so far this term, but has failed to translate his excellent pre-season form into the new campaign.
Though it seems that Fullkrug should be ready to continue his search for a first goal of 2025/26 when club football returns following the international break.
Niclas Fullkrug during Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Julian Nagelsmann gives West Ham United hope after Niclas Fullkrug injury
Speaking after calling up Maxi Beier, who joined Dortmund just days after Fullkrug left for England in August of last year, Nagelsmann confirmed that the 32-year-old’s withdrawal was simply ‘precautionary’ rather than anything long-term.
“There’s no structural injury,” the former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig coach tells ARD. “It’s a precautionary measure.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
“It’s just a bad spot in the calf with too much risk.”
The most worrying part from a West Ham perspective, though, is that niggles have plagued Fullkrug since the beginning of last season.
He is already halfway to matching his 2024/25 tally of six Premier League starts, with hamstring and achilles tendon issues limiting him to a half-dozen appearances in the Hammers XI.
Furthermore, after West Ham stunned Nottingham Forest at the City Ground while bringing an emphatic end to their winless start, Callum Wilson’s latest eye-catching cameo puts even more pressure on Fullkrug to perform in that claret and blue jersey.
Manager Julian Nagelsmann looks on during Germany v Portugal in the UEFA Nations League 2025 Semi-final
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Darren Bent backs Callum Wilson to build on Nottingham Forest strike
Former England international Darren Bent thinks West Ham have a 15-goal-a-season striker in Wilson. And for all the concerns over his age and his own injury record, Wilson is actually only one year older than his rival for the centre-forward role on Potter’s team sheet.
“Listen, they have brought in some good players,” former Aston Villa, Tottenham and Sunderland striker Bent tells talkSPORT.
“Callum Wilson, if he stays fit, he will score goals for them. From now to the end of the season, if he doesn’t get an injury, he will score 15 goals. I don’t have any doubts about that.
“A fit Callum Wilson doesn’t go to West Ham, he’s still at Newcastle.”
Wilson opened his West Ham account with a well-placed header. Speaking to the club’s official website, meanwhile, he was quick to praise a typically devastating El Hadji Malick Diouf assist. The sort of pinpoint left-footed cross which is already becoming the left-back’s trademark.
“I think for me, I’ve been training and working hard behind the cameras, waiting for an opportunity,” Wilson adds. “I’ve not managed to get a start yet, but it’s about trying to impress in the time that you do get on the pitch, and today I tried to do that. It’s always nice to score in front of the fans as well.
“The lads were doing it, and I was getting jealous. I want to get my own goal, and to be fair, it’s a fantastic ball from Malick as well.
“I’ve seen him do that so many times. It was just about getting into the right position to get on the end of it, and thankfully, it went in.”