OPINION
West ham United attacker Andriy Yarmolenko has only made nine Premier League appearances this season, but it is safe to say that they will be remembered for the right reasons.
The 29-year-old was unfortunately struck off with a serious injury towards the back end of last year, and it seems as though he is not expected to make a return this season. That would be shame, as he is quite the talent.
However, next season will be a whole new kettle of fish. If anything, he faces an uphill battle to impress boss Manuel Pellegrini next season and win back his place in the Hammers starting XI – how he wishes it was as easy as just stepping back in.
The likes of Robert Snodgrass have been playing out of their skin in this campaign. To think he was cast aside last season by being loaned out to Aston Villa, to being a main feature of the Irons first team this time around. In the process, he has turned he heads of the West Ham fans with his sprightly displays and effective contributions.
Grady Diangana has also made his mark too. The youngster was another player who was given the chance to impress by Pellegrini, and he has achieved that aim with flying colours. His energy is abundantly clear in all of the games he plays, and he will no doubt be a regular in years to come.
So where does this leave Yarmolenko? There is no denying the talent that he has. However, if his teammates have been impressing, surely it is going to be very difficult to force his way back in? After all, it is not like he will be guaranteed anything upon his eventual return.
Either way, it looks like the ace has a lot of work to do to get back into the fold.
