Massive injury boost for West Ham in London Derby

West Ham are nearing full match fitness as their crucial relegation avoiding schedule marches on. It’s all good news now heading into a London Derby against Arsenal.

The predicted West Ham team will, as always be shortly on its way, but not before looking in on David Moyes’ prematch press conference for some hand tipping as to who is ready to play. With the question asked about match fitness, it was all good news for the Hammers.

As transcribed by Sam Inkersole: 

"Q: Injury news ahead of the weekend?A: “We’re getting much closer [to a full squad].Tomas Soucek is doing very well and is just about match fit, very close to it now, he’s recovered really quickly.Yarmolenko is back training so we are very close to getting everybody back match fit.”Q: Both in with a chance this weekend?“Andriy is not, he’s only just started training but Tomas has got a very good chance.”"

That last line, that is music to my ears. The Twitter doctors prognosticated low-grade hip strain recovery time after Tomas Soucek’s knock picked up against Liverpool, agreeing on a 3-4 week timetable for his return and all hell proceeded to break loose.

Hearing the Czech stallion is back to match fitness and has a good chance to feature against Arsenal is terrific news. He’s playing the box-to-box midfield role extremely well an is covering an immense amount of space tracking up and down the pitch to bring some life to the middle of the Hammers’ squad.

Not having picked up a substantial injury in his career prior to coming to West Ham, many pointed the finger at the less-than-adequate Rush Green training ground and others just chalk it up to the West Ham Way coming through again.

Regardless of if he starts, comes off the bench, or just makes it to the matchday squad at all, this is a huge boost to the team’s mentality. Soucek’s elite play is a massive upgrade on the team and if he is risked it will likely be in place of Mark Noble, which is a wise move!