West Ham have added to the air of mystery around the return of Crysencio Summerville ahead of a huge two months for the club – but the man himself has delivered a positive update.
Hammers News exclusive
April and May will prove to be monumental for the future of West Ham – one way or another – and so will the availability of Crysencio Summerville.
The Hammers have seven games left to save their Premier League lives – but before that face an FA Cup quarter-final against Leeds on Sunday.
West Ham’s season is literally on a knife edge between complete disaster and potential euphoria which could even end with a trophy and a return to European football.
West Ham and Summerville drop updates on his return
The Hammers have always been experts at lurching between the sublime and the ridiculous but what could unfold in the next seven weeks takes things to a whole new level.
Central to all the club’s hopes is that man Summerville.
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Crysencio Summerville in action during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at London Stadium (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) Jarrod Bowen applauds the fans after the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
With Jarrod Bowen out of form, Summerville – along with others such as Axel Disasi, Mateus Fernandes and Konstantinos Mavropanos – has breathed life into a season which looked dead in the water at the turn of the year.
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The Dutchman scored seven goals in 10 games before picking up a calf injury in the FA Cup victory over Brentford.
Crysencio Summerville gets treatment on an injury during West Ham vs Brentford in the FA Cup.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
He has been out ever since.
In the days after his injury, Hammers News exclusively revealed Summerville would not be considered for a West Ham return until after the international break – and possibly not until the must-win Premier League clash with Wolves.
Other outlets inaccurately reported the 24-year-old could return to the side to face Aston Villa last time out – but West Ham doubled down that Summerville would not be ready until after the break.
Sunday’s clash with Summerville’s old club Leeds offers the victors a trip to Wembley.
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The big question is whether Summerville is ready to return for that game and – more importantly – whether Nuno Espirito Santo thinks it is worth the risk of playing him given what is at stake in the fight for survival.
Now West Ham have gone smoke and mirrors on Summerville – but the man himself has delivered what appears to be a positive update on his return.
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Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images
Speaking about Summerville this time last week, West Ham were open about the hope for his return: “Summerville is a huge miss!” the top spokesman for West Ham told Hammers News.
“We hope and expect Summerville will be back for Wolves, but you never know with injuries.”
Now, when pressed for an update ahead of the Leeds game, a senior club spokesman was a touch more cloak and dagger.
“We won’t tell anybody information regarding injuries as it just helps the opposition,” the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners has exclusively told Hammers News ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final and six-pointer against Wolves.
Summerville himself appears positive on his comeback, though.
Crysencio Summerville celebrates with Nuno Espírito Santo after scoring for West Ham United against Tottenham.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
In a post on his Instagram overnight, Summerville shared a series of pictures where he looked in good spirits and was – most importantly – training hard with his teammates at Rush Green.
“Powered by God,” Summerville captioned the post, which contains a number of images of him with friends and in training, where he was doing ball work too.
West Ham are desperate for any positives at this crucial stage of the season.
Summerville returning – and staying injury-free – would be the biggest positive of all.
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