West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has played down any concerns about his health after blocking a fierce Erling Haaland volley with his face in the draw against Manchester City earlier this month.
The image of Mavropanos – who had earlier scored the goal to bring West Ham United back onto level terms – putting his body on the line has gone viral.
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It was a perfect indication of the desperation to defend that has helped Nuno Espirito Santo’s side push towards Premier League survival.
Indeed, Mavropanos has been one of West Ham’s best players in recent weeks, though he appeared to play down that block when speaking to West Ham’s official website.
Mavropanos did not suffer injury in Haaland block
The defender did need treatment on the pitch after the ball collided with his face, as one might expect.
However, he was fine to carry on, and he has now revealed some days after the viral moment that he’s feeling absolutely fine.
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The Greek international said: “Luckily, it was nothing. It hit me on the cheek, with a bit of my eye, a little bit of my nose. If it would come straight to my nose, I think it would be broken!”
That block came only a few days after the former Stuttgart defender scored the winning penalty as West Ham beat Brentford in the FA Cup fifth round.
It has been a brilliant few weeks for the 28-year-old, who has shaken off any of the doubts that supporters may have had about him during his first few years at the club.
Konstantinos Mavropanos celebrates scoring their 1st goal with his teammates, bringing the score to 1-1 during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City
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Nothing has been achieved yet, however, and West Ham will need Mavropanos at his best during the final few games of the campaign.
Such is the desperation of the relegation battle, the Irons are going to need to do an awful lot of defending.
Mavropanos, along with Jean-Clair Todibo and Axel Disasi, will really need to step up in the battles to come.
Mavropanos vowed to do everything to succeed at West Ham and he’s certainly proving true to his word.
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