We bring you an update on number one goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after he went off injured at half-time of West Ham’s defeat at Newcastle.
As if West Ham’s meek surrender in the 4-3 defeat at Newcastle was not bad enough, Alphonse Areola went off injured too.
West Ham went in at half-time leading 2-1 but big cat Areola did not re-emerge for the second half.
Lukasz Fabianski replaced the Frenchman and the Hammers went on to make it 3-1 before the late collapse.
Big cat Areola suffers injury in West Ham defeat
West Ham are battling for a European place in the Premier League and face a huge Europa League quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen in the coming weeks.
So the last thing the Hammers need is to lose one of their most important players.
Especially with a worrying lack of experienced back-up beyond Fabianski.
Now there’s an Areola injury update from West Ham and it’s a major worry.
‘Scan on thigh injury today’ says top club source
Areola handed kicking duties to Konstantinos Mavropanos after feeling pain at St James’ Park.
Reports after the match suggested Areola may have injured his groin.
But Hammers News has spoken to the top source inside the club.
And it has been confirmed that Areola has been sent for a scan today (Sunday) on a thigh injury.
“Scan on thigh injury today,” the senior club source told Hammers News.
The scan will determine the seriousness of the issue.
But any injury of the thigh for a goalkeeper is of serious concern given the muscle is key for jumping, diving and kicking.
We can only hope for good news from the scan.
West Ham’s worrying lack of goalkeeping depth
West Ham’s squad depth beyond Areola and Fabianski is not huge.
Most Premier League clubs have three senior goalkeepers but the Hammers only have two.
Fabianski is an able – if ageing – deputy to Areola. But he has proved injury-prone in the recent past too.
Beyond that the David Moyes only has youngster Joseph Anang.
The majority of Premier League clubs have three senior goalkeepers with a veteran as third choice.
But since the departures of David Martin and Darren Randolph West Ham have elected to elevate Anang to that role.
The worrying thing now is that the young Ghana-born star may be thrown in at the deep end should Areola be ruled out for a length of time and anything happen to Fabianski.