So now we know the diagnosis: West Ham United striker Pablo is facing six to eight weeks out with a calf injury.
And honestly… is anyone really surprised?
The €20m forward from Gil Vicente FC simply never stops running.
It’s often said that all West Ham fans really want is 100% effort. Pablo gives that — and then some.
The 23-year-old covers so much ground that he’s usually running on fumes by the hour mark. In fact, he’s one of the few footballers I’ve genuinely seen run himself into exhaustion.
Which makes it no shock at all that he featured against Burnley while clearly not right — an appearance that has almost certainly aggravated the injury.
And knowing Pablo, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if he told Nuno Espírito Santo he felt fine. He seems exactly that type of player.
Could Pablo Still Play a Big Part in West Ham’s Run-In?
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By my own rough guesswork — and it’s fair to say I know absolutely nothing about muscle injuries — Pablo could potentially be back around the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 11 April.
If that proves accurate, it would leave him available for West Ham’s final seven [Premier League](https://www.claretandhugh.info/premier-league-bio/) matches — and of course the FA Cup semi-final and final!
Because Pablo had already started to look like a key piece in Nuno’s system, particularly alongside Taty Castellanos.
But if West Ham can get him back for the business end of the season, his energy, work rate and willingness to run through brick walls could make all the difference in the squeaky bum time relegation run-in.