New West Ham arrival Axel Disasi’s low fitness levels led to other clubs deciding against taking a chance on the player, according to reports.
A source has told Claret & Hugh that the Chelsea loanee may not be match fit for quite a while:
“Disasi was freely on offer to everyone, but no one wanted him because his fitness levels were so low.”
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“Clubs that were interested felt he would take four to six full games to get up to the level needed. So in effect, he needs a proper pre-season.”
Why is the West Ham defender lacking match practice?
Disasi was frozen out by Chelsea in the first half of the season. He had been training with the club’s Under 21s, along with Raheem Sterling
The last competitive match that Disasi played prior to his switch to the London Stadium came during his loan spell at Aston Villa in the second half of last season.
That appearance came against Manchester City when Disasi was introduced as a substitute during a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad in late April.
It could be mid-March before Disasi is ready to play regularly
That six-game estimate means that the 27-year-old may have trouble finishing upcoming fixtures against Burnley, Manchester United, Burton Albion (in the FA Cup), Bournemouth, Liverpool and Fulham.
Of course, we should see Disasi’s performances improve over that run of matches, but it is far from ideal that the France international won’t be ready to play a full 90 minutes from the get-go.
If head coach Nuno Espirito Santo does start Disasi versus Burnley, it does suggest that the club’s medical department are confident about his overall fitness levels, but there is a good chance he may only make the substitutes bench.
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