West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has said that forward Andy Carroll could return to full training in two weeks.
The striker has been battling an ankle injury that has left him absent from the start of the season for the Hammers, but Pellegrini has stated that the 6ft 4in [Transfermarkt] colossus could make a return in early November, with the first team set to be handed a boost in two weeks when he joins full training.
The Chilean manager has said that the 29-year-old is back in warm-up training with the Irons, and that the club will monitor how much he improves over the next week.
“Andy is recovering. He started this week working, part of the warm up with the whole squad so we will see in the next week how he improves. I hope that maximum 15 days he will at least be working with the squad, completely,” he said, as quoted by the Sun.
OPINION
Having Carroll back in the team will no doubt provide the extra depth that Pellegrini needs up front. Lucas Perez has been nothing short of a disaster since his arrival from Arsenal, so the return of Carroll will be much welcomed indeed. It will remain to be seen how match sharp he is, so Pellegrini will have to introduce him slowly into the fold once again. He provides the same threat as Marko Arnautovic, in that both of them are tall and have the strength to bully defenders, so the fans will no doubt be excited for his return. Yes, he may not be as potent in front of goal as he used to be, but one thing is for sure – he is certainly a player who can make an impact when he comes on the pitch. He has the habit of popping up with important goals every now and then – and this is something that the supporters will appreciate hugely.
