Exclusive: “Fullkrug Has Lost Fitness”
West Ham striker Niclas Füllkrug could be set to miss this weekend’s Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Claret & Hugh spoke with a top club source this morning, providing an update on the striker, who has not featured for the club since picking up an injury in September. The £27m signing from Borussia Dortmund was injured during a training session while on international duty for Germany.
When C&H asked a top-ranking Hammers source whether the forward would be available for Spurs, we were told: “At best, he might play a few minutes off the bench. He’s lost fitness due to the injury.”
Reading between the lines, it appears that reports suggesting Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui plans to take a cautious approach with Füllkrug’s fitness are accurate. While he may not feature against Tottenham, it seems West Ham are now dealing with a fitness issue rather than an injury.
Let’s hope Michail Antonio is not too fatigued from his journey to Jamaica.
The West Ham playmaker has been summoned to appear alongside his uncle Bruno Tolentinoon on 29 October.
The CPI hearing in the Brazilian capital on Game Manipulation and Sports Betting is scheduled to take place just four days before West Ham faces Nottingham Forest at the beginning of November. The president of the CPI, Senator Jorge Kajuru, announced an official summons to the West Ham and Brazilian national team player, who will testify on the same day as influencer Deolane Bezerra, involved in another case.
It is possible that Paqueta’s legal team could block his appearance in advance of the FA hearing next March or may limit his appearance by video link from London.
Whatever happens, we probably haven’t heard the end of this story.
West Ham forward Callum Marshall made a significant impact in Northern Ireland’s emphatic victory last night, though the role he played may have surprised a few. The young striker, while facing a recent goal drought, has maintained decent form which seems to have opened up an opportunity for him.
In the match against Bulgaria, Marshall was deployed in an unexpected position as a left-sided attacking midfielder.
Marshall contributed to Northern Ireland’s dominant 5-0 triumph, a win that propelled them to the top of UEFA Nations League Group C3.
