Sometimes looks say more than words ever could, and that certainly felt like the case when West Ham United striker Taty Castellanos trudged onto the Rush Green training pitches on Wednesday.
It is no secret that the two-time Argentina international was desperate to secure a World Cup spot, hoping that a January switch to the Premier League would catapult him back into Lionel Scaloni’s plans.
Taty Castellanos was omitted by the Albiceleste for the March international break, however.
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Taty Castellanos of West Ham United controls the ball during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and West Ham United at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on March 22, 2026.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The look on the face of the West Ham United forward – stuck in blustery East London while Lionel Messi and co are sunning it up in South America – said it all.
Lanre Awesu, Tom Wooster and Lewis Orford train with West Ham United
Castellanos joins Axel Disasi, Alphonse Areola, Adama Traore, Callum Wilson, Kyle Walker-Peters, Soungoutou Magassa, Max Kilman and Pablo Felipe; the senior players spending the international break at Rush Green after being overlooked by their countries.
And, in a video posted by West Ham’s official YouTube channel, a host of academy kids could be spotted being put through their paces.
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The sight of Mohamadou Kante in first-team training is nothing new. Kante is a full member of the senior West Ham squad these days, alongside Ezra Mayers and Ollie Scarles.
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With Jarrod Bowen, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Tomas Soucek, Mads Hermansen and co away representing their countries through, Lewis Orford, Lanre Awesu and Tom Wooster now have a chance to impress under the watchful eye of Nuno Espirito Santo.
A former Manchester United youngster, Under-21 goalkeeper Wooster could be seen denying Jarrod Bowen with a flying save at Rush Green a few weeks ago. He was back training with the first-team today, as Hermansen prepares to make his long-awaited Denmark debut against North Macedonia in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier.
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West Ham star Jarrod Bowen registered an assist in England's 5-0 win over Latvia
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Sporting the number 77, Lanre Awesu looked sharp in goalkeeping drills alongside Areola and Lukasz Fabianski. Lewis Orford was also in the building, following an impressive 2026 so far for the reserve side.
Orford scored as West Ham lost to Boreham Wood in the National League Cup final last week. Following an ill-fated loan spell at Stevenage in which the attacking midfielder barely got a look in, Orford has provided six goals and five assists in 16 games under Under-21 boss Greg Lincoln.
Castellanos, meanwhile, was not the only West Ham first-teamer hoping to force his way into his nation’s World Cup plans.
Despite a series of stellar displays since arriving, Axel Disasi remains well down Didier Deschamps’ France pecking order though. Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix was chosen ahead of him when Arsenal’s WIlliam Saliba pulled out of the squad a few days ago through injury.
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