OPINION
Sam Byram has been dealt an unfortunate hand with injuries every since joining West Ham and his bad luck continued when on loan at Nottingham Forest this season.
The 25-year-old right-back went down injured during Forest’s EFL Cup victory over Newcastle United in August and hasn’t been able to feature since.
Byram impressed and stood out in the early stages of that clash against the Magpies and it was only his third appearance for Forest since joining them on loan in the summer.
However while the defender sustained knee ligament damage (Source: Nottingham Post) which can rules players out for unbearable amounts of time, Forest boss Aitor Karanka is holding out hope the full-back will still play apart this season.
“Sam is recovering well but is still two or three months away,” Karanka told the Nottingham Post.
“I hope that he will come back – and I am not a doctor – in January or February.
“It would be good if that happens. I hope he still has a part to play for us this season.
“You never know with this kind of injury, but he is doing well and feeling confident.”
Byram must cling to this hope that he may return to feature in January or February as it would give enough time to at least have a chance of saving his West Ham career.
The defender’s Hammers contract is set to expire in 2020 so the upcoming summer would be the perfect opportunity to try and ship him out permanently so that the club get a fee for his services.
However they will hesitant to do this if in the tail-end of the Championship season he able to shine bright for Forest and show that he is a talented player.
Byram’s injury record works against him and this will likely see the Hammers push him out the door, but if he looks at his best upon returning and instantly makes a case for his ability then the Premier League club may think twice.
As it stands the 25-year-old’s potential future at the London Stadium looks bleak and the only chance of him changing that is by getting fit enough in time to make an impact at Forest before the season ends.
