Andriy Yarmolenko Miraculously Returns To West Ham Training

In a surprise turn of events, Andriy Yarmolenko has returned to training at West Ham. The forward has been injured since what looked like a nasty knee injury suffered at Old Trafford last month. It had been expected that Yarmolenko would miss the majority of the remaining games of the season at a minimum.

It is unclear how involved Yarmolenko is in the first-team training sessions. It could be a case of the Ukranian having a lesser involvement in contract training, and he is just getting back out on the grass. Either way, the forward is way ahead of the expected schedule for his return.

Since Yarmolenko’s injury, Michail Antonio has had to bare the weight of being the club’s only fit senior striker. Mipo Obudeko has been back-up to Antonio but has not been given any minutes on the pitch. David Moyes would rather Obudeko be playing in the development squad, but because he is needed just in case.

Both Michial Antonio and David Moyes will be happy to see Andriy Yarmolenko return to West Ham training to help with the squad competition.

Yarmolenko’s return to training will be a relief to Moyes as he will soon return Obudeko to the development side. The 31-year-old will likely return to the bench in the youngster’s place and become the back-up to Antonio once more.

While Yarmolenko has not set the world alight since his £17 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund two summers ago, the forward has shown his class at times. Yarmolenko has scored memorable goals against Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton for West Ham, and it was hoped he can still have an impact off the bench.

If Yarmolenko can build his fitness up over the next month, he could have a crucial impact in West Ham’s chase for Champions League qualification. The forward has experience in this situation with his previous clubs and could be a crucial voice in the changing room.