The folly of signing thirty-something players has again been illustrated only too clearly to West Ham this season. As if last term’s striker crisis with Antonio and Fullkrug out of action for what felt like most of 2024/5 wasn’t enough, Niclas Fullkrug’s high mileage legs sustained yet another muscle injury which kept him out of the Germany side in the international break and was due to leave his sidelined for much of the pre-Christmas fixture list: His third layoff in just over one season at London Stadium.
Original estimates were six weeks plus for his thigh muscle to repair and for the German striker to get back up to match fitness: Which, with increasing age, gets tougher after every layoff.
Fullkrug ‘s latest injury prognosis is not as bad as first feared
News out of West Ham this afternoon, relayed by hammers.news, is a little more optimistic. This week’s scan has revealed that the injury is not as serious as first thought and a club spokesman was upbeat:
“Fullkrug will be out for another two to three more weeks, maximum.”
West Ham’s big German should be back in action next month
Which offers comfort that by early November West Ham’s target man should be ready to get back into first team action. So it is likely that Fullkrug will miss out on the games against Brentford, Leeds, Newcastle and possibly Burnley. After that, another pesky international break in November actually works in West Ham’s favour for a change. No games for two weeks after the home tie against Burnley on the 8th would give the Hammers’ striker more opportunity for rehab and match-fitness preparation.
Depending on who grabs the opportunity presented in the meantime, however, either Callum Wilson or Callum Marshall might steal Fullkrug’s starting spot if goals come between now and his return. We can but hope.
Surely this latest injury will force the Hammers to get the cheque book out in January for an experienced Premier League – level striker who is not the wrong side of thirty. The warnings have been loud and clear and evident for anyone to see.
He has been so far off the pace, not sure it matters when he’s back.
As for 2 or three weeks, Summerville was going to miss a game or two, 8 months later….
@Dave. You can’t compare an orange to a lemon!