By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Whilst it was disappointing to see Manor Solomon come off the bench for Israel last night, I guess as West Ham fans we should thank our lucky stars that he appears not to have picked up an injury.
The winger was introduced in the 72nd minute of Israel’s 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, replacing Liel Abada despite the concerns surrounding his fitness.
Having been told by a club source yesterday that Solomon was “in a lot of pain”, and with the player himself admitting that he was absolutely knackered following a relentless international schedule, I was surprised to see him get any minutes at all.
Konstantinos Mavropanos will have enjoyed the international fixtures more than Solomon
Solomon and Mavropanos have contrasting breaks
Certainly, the contrast between Solomon’s international break and that of Hammers central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos is chalk and cheese.
Whilst Dinos will have played more minutes than Solomon, he’s enjoyed an excellent couple of weeks playing for Greece and undoubtedly returns to West Ham with his reputation even further enhanced.
For Solomon, it’s been a miserable couple of weeks. No goal or assist, bundles of controversy and, it would seem, a bad back to add insult to injury.
The good news is that he appears to have come through it without making the problem any worse.
But after everything that’s happened over the international break, I’d be very surprised if Solomon starts against QPR on Friday night.