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The latest West Ham team news and injury update ahead of their relegation battle clash with Wolves
Seven matches. 630 minutes. This is all that stands between West Ham knowing whether they have escaped relegation, as the Premier League’s final run-in gets underway on Friday night.
The Hammers are looking to dust themselves down following their FA Cup quarter-final loss to Leeds United and make a real statement of intent in their relegation battle clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have picked up five points in their last five Premier League matches, including a vital 1-0 away win at Fulham and an impressive 1-1 draw with reigning champions Manchester City.
Ahead of the big match under the London Stadium lights, we’ve rounded up the latest West Ham injury news:
West Ham United injury news update
Jean-Clair Todibo (calf): Santo revealed that Todibo is well on the way to recovery, after missing West Ham’s last two matches with injury. He pulled up with discomfort during the side’s warm-up ahead of their last Premier League match against Aston Villa, back in March. He’s expected to make his return on Friday night, just in time to face Wolves. Expected return date: 10th April vs Wolves
Konstantinos Mavropanos (concussion): The Greece international suffered a head injury during the international break in a friendly match against Paraguay. After observing the necessary concussion protocol, he was back in training earlier this week, and should get the all clear to feature on Friday. Expected return date: 10th April vs Wolves
Crysencio Summerville (lower leg): The dynamic winger has missed three matches with a calf injury, and Santo has a big decision on his hands: does he play it safe and ease a key player back into action, or take a gamble and get him involved as soon as possible?
He’s appeared in the club’s social media posts this week on the training ground, suggesting it could be the latter option. Summerville was also included among a number of names Santo - once a star of social media himself - confirmed could featured against Wolves. Expected return date: 10th April vs Wolves
Alphonse Areola (calf): Cruelly injured just before the Hammers’ penalty shootout against Leeds, Areola hobbled off the field and had to watch on from the sidelines as his side were dumped out the cup. Santo has confirmed the Frenchman is “okay” but is suffering from “tiredness and fatigue”.
If his calf has recovered, you’d image he’ll push through to ensure he’s between the sticks for Friday’s vital encounter. Expected return date: 10th April vs Wolves
Will West Ham get relegated?
There’s no getting away from it - West Ham have a serious tasks on their hands. Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham are the other sides realistically scrapping to avoid 18th place, with Burnley and Wolves most likely having just too much work to do at this stage of the season to avoid plunging into the Championship.
Interestingly, the Premier League’s Fixture Difficulty Ranking table suggests Leeds have a significantly easier run-in than their relegation battle rivals, with their opponents having accumulated an average of 33.7 points this season. Comparatively, the sides left for West Ham to play have 41.9.
If stats gurus Opta Analyst are to be believed, West Ham will be relegated - finishing in 18th place, just one point behind Tottenham.
Whichever way you slice it, then, it’s not looking great for Santo’s side. Fourteen consecutive seasons in the top flight should put them in good stead, however, with their experience of staying up against the odds giving them a significant advantage over Leeds and Forest.
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