OPINION
After sanctioning the exit of Adrian in the summer, West Ham United moved quickly to secure their replacements.
The Hammers decided to sign not one, but two goalkeepers as back up to Lukasz Fabianski, when completing moves for Roberto and David Martin.
The decision to sign both of the experienced stoppers has seemed to have paid off for Manuel Pellegrini, with Fabianski being forced off through injury against Bournemouth on Saturday.
It was reported by BBC Sport on Monday that the Polish international has been ruled out for up to two months with a hip injury sustained when taking a goal kick in the 2-2 draw against the Cherries.
That is clearly a big blow for the Hammers, with Fabianski having excelled so far this season, making a number of key saves in each of their games.
Roberto will most likely get the nod between the sticks given the fact he played in both Carabao Cup games and replaced Fabianski on Saturday.
Martin has yet to play a single game for the club since arriving at the London Stadium, and a place on the bench could be as good as it gets for the former Millwall man.
Football Insider recently reported that Pellegrini is fretting over using Roberto for a sustained period after identifying issues in the Spaniard’s game.
The Chilean is said to have mishaps regarding the stoppers’ kicking ability and also his flexibility but still regards him as superior to Martin.
Given that Martin is clearly down the pecking order in East London, his chances are less than limited, and it would be a surprise to see him feature at all for the Hammers this season.
Pellegrini’s reported stance will surely leave the 33-year-old questioning whether he made the right move to join West Ham in the summer, as he could have most likely remained at Millwall and earned consistent minutes.