Nuno Espírito Santo is set to face a challenge when West Ham United goes up against Newcastle United in the Premier League this Sunday, as he will be without three injured players. In a pre-match press conference held on Friday, the Head Coach confirmed that Dinos Mavropanos, Ollie Scarles, and Niclas Füllkrug will not be participating in the upcoming match.
Despite these absences, there is optimism surrounding the potential return of Mavropanos and Füllkrug. Both players have begun on-field rehabilitation at Rush Green, indicating a sooner-than-anticipated return. Mavropanos has been sidelined due to a leg injury sustained during the home game against Brentford on October 20, while Füllkrug has not played since his substitution during the away match at Arsenal on October 4.
Scarles, on the other hand, recently underwent successful surgery for a broken collarbone, which he incurred during the away game at Leeds United on October 24. Nuno provided an update on Scarles’ recovery, noting that while he will be out for an extended period, he can still engage in certain conditioning exercises.
“Dinos has started his fitness programme now and had his first session on the grass, so I expect a couple of weeks more for him to be totally available,” Nuno shared. “Oliver Scarles, of course, went to surgery yesterday, and it went well. He’s going to be out for a while. He’s not totally stopped as he can do some type of conditioning work.”
Regarding Füllkrug’s injury status, Nuno remarked, “He started on the grass but not totally with the group, so we expect it’s going to be fast.”
As the match approaches, it remains to be seen if Nuno will tweak his starting lineup, especially after Mateus Fernandes made a notable impact by scoring as a substitute against Leeds. Meanwhile, Callum Wilson, Freddie Potts, Soungoutou Magassa, and Kyle Walker-Peters also contributed from the bench in that match.
With the season in full swing, West Ham fans will be hopeful for a productive outcome against Newcastle, even with key players sidelined. The team’s resilience and adaptability will be tested as they strive to maintain momentum in the league.