West Ham boss Graham Potter has hinted that Evan Ferguson is in line for his Hammers debut against Brentford on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Irishman, who joined on loan from Brighton in January, is edging closer to full fitness after a stop-start season disrupted by injuries.
Ferguson first made his breakthrough as a teenager under Potter at Brighton, and the West Ham manager believes he is now ready to make an impact for the Irons. It was reported throughout the transfer window that the big striker was desperate to team up with his former Seagulls boss and was insistent on moving to East London.
“He’s trained well,” said Potter in today’s pre-match press conference. “He hasn’t played much football lately, so we’ll have to manage that carefully.”
“We’ll have to be careful with him, though, whether that’s the start or the end of the game.”
Potter’s inference was clear… Ferguson will be playing some part against Thomas Frank’s Brentford team, which should give everyone a huge boost.
The new Hammers boss has only had 13 minutes with a striker to spearhead his attack before Niclas Füllkrug sustained an injury in Potter’s first game against Aston Villa. However, Ferguson’s availability will finally give the gaffer a chance to see captain Jarrod Bowen in his preferred position.
Bring him on sometime in the 2nd half so he can feel the welcoming support from us supporters.