ONE WEEK down, one more to go before the end of the last international break before the World Cup Finals: Finally the domestic season will burst back into life with the seven game league run-in that will see West Ham attempt to conjure up their “Great Escape 2.0.”
However before the Premier League gets going again there’s the small matter of an FA Cup quarter final just seven days away, which will be preoccupying the coaching team and medical staff alike.
Injury worries remain over three players ahead of FA Cup quarter final
Nuno’s worries are clearly over player wellbeing as he seeks reassurance as to the fitness of three key players: Dinos Mavropanos was substituted yesterday after a big blow to the head, Jean Clair Todibo pulled out of the Aston Villa tie with a muscle problem and of course Crysencio Summerville has been missing with a calf injury – yet rumoured to be almost ready to return.
The dilemma facing Nuno is very plain: Dare he risk Summerville for the FA cup clash and risk aggravating a calf muscle issue that could rule his winger out for the vital Premier League games to come? Relegation rivals’ Spurs own fan site hotspurhq.com sums up perfectly why ‘Cry’ is vital:
“The winger [Summerville] has scored five league goals since the turn of the year, with four of these goals opening the scoring in eventual wins. With their recent defeat to Villa, West Ham’s record fell to zero wins, three draws, and five losses in the 25/26 season without the winger. “
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Clearly without Summerville, West Ham struggle. So, to risk bringing him back for the FA Cup quarter final or wait another week until the Premier League clash? If West Ham hadn’t struggled so badly without him, there’d be a temptation to omit him for the cup clash but how often will West Ham get the chance to compete for a last four place in the FA Cup?
I’d say it was risk worth taking: Maybe from half time in the Cup game? What do you think? FA Cup challenge or ‘safety first Premier League survival’? Where should West Ham’s priorities lie?