West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo has provided an injury update for his side ahead of their clash with Manchester United on Thursday, including a ‘tough opponent’ admission.
Manchester United recovered from their embarrassing defeat against 10-man Everton at the weekend as they managed to defeat what was an impenetrable Crystal Palace side.
Oliver Glasner’s side hadn’t conceded in the Premier League since their former star Eberechi Eze netted against them for Arsenal in late October. This was until Joshua Zirkzee’s well-taken finish on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim’s side achieved a second-half turnaround thanks to goals from Zirkzee and Mason Mount to overcome the Eagles, which saw them climb to seventh in the table.
Next on the fixture list for United is Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United, who currently sit 17th in the table on 11 points, following a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Nuno’s injury update
Ahead of Thursday night’s fixture, the Hammers’ Portuguese coach gave credit to his fellow countryman, Amorim, as he highlighted the injury concerns that his side are facing.
Nuno said, regarding Crysencio Summerville, via BBC Sport, “He still has some issues, and we are still assessing, so I think Thursday will be too soon.”
Then on the fitness of Ollie Scarles, he said, “Oli has started training with no contact but hasn’t been cleared for full training yet. He has been involved with many parts of the session.”
Finally, on the topic of Lucas Paqueta, who was sent off against Liverpool, Nuno added, “He is not OK. He is suffering. He is disappointed and upset. But he realises the mistake that he made and he is willing to move forward.
United providing tough opposition
When commenting on his counterpart, Amorim, Nuno said that he has ‘all the respect’ for the United manager, adding, “They are a good team.
You can see from the game against Crystal Palace that they really compete well. They are a tough opponent, full of talented players.”
It appears that United are finally starting to instil an element of fear factor into their opponents after an improved run of form, and they will be hoping to pick up another three points on Thursday.
Especially giving the key absentees from the Hammers’ squad, it will be hugely disappointing for Amorim’s side if they aren’t able to capitalise for the second home fixture in a row.
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