Almost as a post script to the rout of opponents Sweden in last night’s World Cup group game, Netherlands forward – West Ham’s very own Crysencio Summerville – suffered a sickening accidental injury that curtailed his involvement in the closing minutes and the on-pitch celebrations which followed.
The victim of a wholly accidental knee to the side of his face, Summerville lay prostrate for a few moments as referee Michael Oliver called for assistance – and both his club and country will await further news today as to the prognosis.
Netherlands and West Ham will be sweating on news of Summerville’s head injury
Summerville had missed a starting spot in the Dutch side having already been a ‘minor injury concern’ and the impact injury will further raise fears of the winger’s fitness for the later stages of the competition: Any concussion protocol would mean a likely couple of weeks’ absence which would be a huge loss for the Netherlands. As the sun.co.uk put it:
“The Dutch winger took an accidental knee to the face from Sweden’s Besfort Zeneli – and rolled on the floor clutching his face”.
Having had such a dramatic impact from the bench yesterday, directly assisting one goal and then scoring the Dutch side’s fifth in their rout of Graham Potter’s Sweden, the West Ham winger had the commentary team falling over themselves to lavish praise upon his cameo before his accidental injury in the closing minutes.
Summerville has now scored two in two starts for his Netherlands’ side
It was the kind of form that Summerville showed in a brief spell at West Ham when he seemingly couldn’t stop scoring which, had it continued through the run-in, would surely have saved West Ham’s Premier League status.
In his current form he has the ability to become the star of the whole tournament – and massively impact his value in the transfer market if nothing else.
Whilst he is more than likely to be the subject of a transfer frenzy following the conclusion of the tournament, Hammers fans will harbour hopes that he can be one of those convinced by Kretinsky to remain on board and help West Ham secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
Hopefully his injury will prove nothing too serious and certainly nothing to curtail his ‘showtime’ on the biggest stage of all.
2 weeks?