West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that striker Andy Carroll should return to action around the November international break.
Carroll returned to light training with the squad last week after his latest ankle injury suffered in the summer, and it was hoped he may be free for their fixtures in early November.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of their Premier League clash with Leicester this weekend, Pellegrini has however confirmed that is not the case.
As quoted by football.london [12:32], Pellegrini said: “Andy is sometimes working with the squad, other times he recovers in the gym. He is improving.
“I hope that he can after the international break, I am not 100 per cent sure when. Maybe the last game before the break, we will see.”
The international break starts on the 12th of November and ends with the Hammers facing Manchester City at the London Stadium on the 24th.
OPINION
It had been reported that Carroll was ahead of schedule in his recovery in several outlets, but that is now obviously not the case. A return in November or December was always the expected prognosis for Carroll when he sustained this injury, and that looks to be what will happen. The club cannot afford to take any risks on rushing him back considering his history of problems, with the Hammers also likely to want to get the most out of him before the summer. The fact is that Carroll is out of contract at the end of the season and the club are unlikely to renew his deal considering his injury problems. Therefore they will want to get as much use out of him before their relationship comes to a close after six seasons. It will be interesting to see how Pellegrini uses Carroll when he does return to action, with the Hammers struggling up front so far this season as they rely on Marko Arnautovic for goals.
