**West Ham** manager Graham Potter has hit back at criticism suggesting one of his star players may have made a bad call and gone against club orders.
Potter was speaking ahead of the Everton vs West Ham fixture at Goodison Park on Saturday when he was asked about Cryscencio Summerville’s injury absence.
As [_Claret & Hugh_](https://www.claretandhugh.info/category/news/) reported on Wednesday via a top club source, the Dutch winger had ignored the advice of club doctors and opted to skip recommended surgery.
This is a sensitive subject for West Ham, who have recently seen Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca disregard club medical advice, with detrimental consequences.
A top Hammers source expressed concerns to _C&H_ yesterday during an injury update ahead of the Premier League clash against [David Moyes’](https://www.claretandhugh.info/david-moyes-bio/) Toffees.
However, Irons manager Graham Potter has come out fighting on behalf of his player, explaining that the decision is entirely up to Summerville.
“Cryscencio is still looking to return the other side of the international break,” Potter stated.
He continued, “I think it’s fair for the individual to treat their diagnosis and the treatment privately. That’s always the case, but he certainly won’t be back this side of the international break.”
While the Hammers boss is absolutely correct that the decision ultimately rests with the player, the assertion that “that’s always the case” is certainly not true. In most cases, players are diagnosed and treated by the club. Only recently, Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug were flown to Dubai by the club to attend a West Ham-affiliated medical programme.
Regardless of which course of action is chosen, all West Ham fans will be hoping for a positive outcome. As things stand, a fit and firing Cryscencio Summerville would be a major asset.