OPINION
The international break is something which most fans of Premier League sides look upon with utter disdain – and the same can probably be said for West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Having already seen injury problems when players go away with their countries, most notably Manuel Lanzini and his long-term layoff while with Argentina last summer, the Chilean boss would rather keep as many of his star men in east London.
That was obviously not going to be the case with the amount of talent he has at his disposal and some of the Hammers’ biggest names – including Lanzini – were away on international duty over the two week break.
However, while the players would no doubt have been looking forward to taking part in their countries’ outings, Tuesday saw no less than three players in the shape of Lanzini, Felipe Anderson and Grady Diangana left disappointed on the substitutes’ bench for Argentina, Brazil and England under-20s, not one seeing a minute of action.
While frustrating for the Irons’ stars, Pellegrini must have been secretly delighted to have seen his attacking trio not come under any threat of picking up an injury or fitness problem from taking part ahead of the final stretch of Premier League fixtures, the Hammers still looking to secure a respectable finish.
Having suffered inadvertently at the hands of international action, West Ham fans and staff will always be wary about their star men departing to take part in mid-season games. This will have left many – the manager included – breathing a huge sigh of relief.
