One of Leeds United’s relegation rivals has suffered a major injury blow.
Leeds United will have one eye on events at the London Stadium on Monday night when relegation rivals West Ham United and Brentford meet in the final fixture of the Premier League weekend.
Even at such an early stage in the season, the clash of the two London clubs will make an impact at the wrong end of the table as the Hammers, who travel to Elland Road on Friday night, head into the first home game of Nuno Espirito Santo’s managerial reign sat in the relegation zone. However, a win for the former Nottingham Forest manager would lift his side level on points with their visitors, who have experienced a slow start to their first season under new boss Keith Andrews.
West Ham’s cause has not been helped by an injury suffered by key striker Niclas Fullkrug after he picked up a thigh injury in training during the international break and that has left Callum Wilson and Northern Ireland youngster Callum Marshall as their only out-and-out striker options - although Nuno could opted to push Jarrod Bowen or lucas Paqueta into an emergency role leading his frontline.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s meeting with the Bees, the Hammers boss said of Fullkrug’s injury: “We still are waiting for the results and then we can say exactly what the time is going to be out and all these things. No estimation at the moment depends on the scam, you know, turns on each player's own timing. (There is a ) Healthy fight for a position. I think two different players (Wilson and Marshall), two different generations. Both of them can try and solve our problems in attack.”
Fortress
Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed at the London Stadium.placeholder image
Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed at the London Stadium. | Getty Images
The buildup to Monday’s game has been dominated by talk of a planned fan boycott with supporters group Hammers United are organising the protest in a campaign seeking the resignations of chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. The group have written to Nuno to stress they support him and his squad and the Hammers boss is hopeful his players are able to focus on what lies ahead of them as a big week gets underway.
He said: “I wish, I hope, that all our fans could join us and help us against Brentford because it's going to be very tough. We as a group, we as a squad and a group, we ignore, we try to ignore, focus on the tasks and and perform and compete and play well. It's up to us now to give back to the fans so they can come closer and support us. It's very hard to analyse what's happened before. It's very hard and it's not fair. What I'm doing is try to improve so we can change everything and become a real fortress.”
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