West Ham United have started the season woefully, with them being mired in the Premier League's relegation zone and having their defence breached at will, so head coach Nuno Espirito Santo must hand Igor Julio a chance to shine when his side make the trip from the London Stadium to face Leeds United on Friday.
The Hammers have the worst defensive record in the top flight, thanks to conceding 18 goals, and the injury picked up by Konstantinos Mavropanos during the defeat to Brentford earlier this week means that the capital club have fewer options at the heart of their backline.
Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo started West Ham's latest setback but, having allowed Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen to bag two easy goals on Monday night, Nuno should give Igor an opportunity to work his way into the forefront of his plans as the east Londoners desperately go in search of stability in the backline.
Igor Deserves a Reward for Effort Behind the Scenes
Igor Julio celebrating after a win for Brighton & Hove Albion
Igor has impressed in training as he looks to prove his worth to Nuno, according to The West Ham Way, and the Sao Tome and Principe-born tactician should reward him with his first start since completing a season-long loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion in the final seconds of the summer transfer window.
The central defender snubbed the opportunity to join domestic counterparts Crystal Palace when the Hammers came calling, ending Marc Guehi's hopes of swapping Selhurst Park for reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, and he has been patiently waiting for an opportunity to make his mark.
Mavropanos' injury - which forced him off against Brentford - along with the goals being shipped when Kilman and Todibo start at the heart of the backline, means that Igor surely deserves to be drafted into the starting line-up when West Ham go in search of a valuable three points against fellow strugglers Leeds on Friday.
The 27-year-old Brazilian has been limited to just one minute of action in a Hammers shirt, after coming on as a late substitute when they were holding on for a draw against Everton last month, but his Premier League experience and never-say-die attitude could be priceless in the fight to preserve the east Londoners' top flight status.
Igor, who is pocketing £45,000-per-week before bonuses during his temporary spell in the capital, is already seen as a West Ham legend by some sections of the fanbase as - during his Fiorentina days - he allowed Jarrod Bowen to scamper clear and grab the winner in the 2023 Europa Conference League final. Now, supporters want him to make a positive impact in their own colours.
Todibo Could be Replaced in Starting Line-Up by Igor
Jean-Clair Todibo in action for West Ham United
If Igor's impressive performances in training sessions pay off by getting a starting berth, it is likely that he will come into the line-up in place of Todibo unless Nuno opts to alter the formation and deploy three central defenders when West Ham seek a second win of the season at Leeds.
The former Nottingham Forest chief is a big fan of Kilman, who he worked with when they were both at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and it is expected that he will continue trying to build the backline around him instead of choosing to take him out of the firing line in the coming weeks.
But Igor is determined to take advantage of any chances that come his way. That hunger could play into West Ham's hands as they aim to escape from the drop zone and fend off dropping into the Championship.
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