“Bitter Blow” | Kudus Suspension Adds to Lopetegui Job Worries

Even a best-case scenario of Mohammed Kudus missing three games is bad news for West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui.

While the club has been careful not to impose any deadline on when the Spaniard must turn things around at the London Stadium, the next three games will play a big part in determining whether he keeps his job or not.

However, Lopetegui will have to navigate three Premier League games against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Everton without Kudus, who had just begun to settle into the role of left winger.

It would be fair to say that early-season attempts to deploy the Ghanaian on the left flank had failed. However, an upturn in form saw him score and hit the post against Ipswich, followed by a goal and an excellent performance against Spurs—until he was sent off.

We now face a best-case/worst-case scenario where Kudus may return no earlier than November 25th and possibly as late as December 26th, by which time he’ll be lacking match sharpness.

This timing coincides with the period when Lopetegui is fighting to save his job. I believe anything less than four points over the next three games will fuel even more speculation about the head coach’s future. Lopetegui’s hopes will rely heavily on Summerville not only fitting into the left-wing role but also providing crucial goals.