The club have received a major boost as forward and record signing Andre Ayew returned to training this week, with him now expected to return to action almost a month ahead of schedule and could be in line for an appearance this weekend as manager Slaven Bilic revealed:
“We were expecting him back later, in December or late November, so we are delighted that he’s back and now we’re going to see. He looks good in training and we’re going to try to prepare him for games as soon as possible. We have a couple of sessions before the game against Sunderland and then we’ll see.”
West Ham are desperately hoping for a boost in front of goal and Ayew could be that man after his prolific displays for Swansea City last season earned him the £20.5 million move to the London Stadium this summer. His injury, picked up less than halfway through his debut at Stamford Bridge, was a source of huge frustration for Bilic and eventually led to the signing of Simone Zaza, who has struggled to date.
However, the update is less positive on fellow forward Andy Carroll, who was initially ruled out for four to six weeks when his injury was analysed nine weeks ago. Bilic said:
“It was a very strange injury that happened in Romania. He stayed the whole game on the pitch and we didn’t even notice he got injured until end of the game or the next day when we did the scans.
Originally it was four to weeks we were fuming about it but now it’s way longer than that so all that I can say is he’s working really hard.”
It is only the latest in a long line of injuries for the man who was hoping to mount a push for the England squad this season in what now seems a distant dream. His aerial strength is sorely missed by the Irons, and the sooner he can return the better as far as the club are concerned.
Off the field the club have made a breakthrough in talks with the Metropolitan Police which will see officers inside the ground for the EFL Cup clash with Chelsea next week. Police initially refused to enter the stadium without sufficient radio systems, which will not be operational until February, but the club have now found a makeshift alternative, claim the Mirror.
With fears over fan violence breaking out yet again in what is likely to be a heated clash in the London derby, both supporters and the club will be relieved to hear the news and there may even be an uplift in ticket sales as a result.
Featured Image: All rights reserved by Craig Ballantyne.