OPINION
Everyone involved with West Ham must have been absolutely gutted when Andriy Yarmolenko was stretchered off against Tottenham last Saturday.
Why wouldn’t they? He has been incredible for them recently and he has made a case for being one of the club’s greatest signings of the summer.
One issue that boss Manuel Pellegrini will now need to address is who will fill the void left behind by the Ukrainian midfield maestro.
Everyone has been raving about how Grady Diangana deserves a chance after he impressed when he came on for Yarmolenko that day, but there is one player who is being unfairly over looked.
That player is Robert Snodgrass, who seems to have found his feet once again after being ousted last season to Championship side Aston Villa.
Yes, young players like Diangana deserve the chance to get some game time, but senior players like Snodgrass are exactly what is needed after Yarmolenko left a gaping hole in the attacking midfield.
Pellegrini cannot afford to go with players who are relatively inexperienced at this level, especially after two back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Tottenham.
Snodgrass is someone who knows the game inside out, and when he has come on as a substitute, he has made a positive contribution to proceedings.
The Scottish flyer could be the Hammers’ shining ray of light following the injury to one of their major stars, and he must use this as a platform for more first team chances in the future.
There will be some fans out there who are not the biggest fans of the £40,000-a-week [Spotrac] player – but he has shown his worth recently, and he deserves a chance to prove his doubters wrong.
He must be started against Leicester on Saturday – as Pellegrini will only heed the benefits if he does.
