Another massive injury blow today as West Ham have confirmed that Manuel Lanzini will be out of action for the hammers for up to 6 weeks following a scan on his thigh.
Lanzini was left out of the draw with Manchester United at the weekend as a precautionary measure, and was expected to return to the side for the Stoke match this weekend. However, this new injury setback means that another one of our most influential attacking players is set for a spell on the sidelines.
The Argentine has been added to a list including Payet, Sakho and Valencia. We are also still waiting anxiously for the news from Victor Moses’ hamstring scan as the Nigerian could yet be added to the growing list after his injury picked up on Saturday at Old Trafford.
These players are all potential starters in Bilic’s strongest starting eleven and Sakho, Lanzini and Payet all look destined to miss the busy Christmas period coming up.
So what does this mean for Slaven Bilic’s side in the immediate future?
It means that the hammers are gonna need to follow up the clean sheet at Old Trafford with more of the same. The defence is gonna be essential over the Christmas period as Carroll and Jelavic don’t look like banging in the goals anytime soon. Zarate has had moments of magic this season, but has also had his fair share of shockers. Some consistency is needed from him to fill the creative void left by the likes of Payet and Lanzini. We might even catch a rare Michail Antonio sighting from the start of a Premier League game at some point.
Could Antonio be the spark in the West Ham attack?
Some good news is long overdue on the injury front, so let’s hope that Victor Moses will be ready to return to action sooner rather than later. There is no need to panic for West Ham fans yet, but another attacker on the sidelines is not ideal with a busy schedule coming up.
