West Ham have enjoyed a rare run of selecting the same eleven players for several weeks. Limited games. Excellent fitness regime. Everything ticking along nicely.
Until now.
Adama Traore is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle and it could not have come at a worse time.
The Spanish powerhouse is reportedly dealing with tightness in his quadriceps. A muscle issue. The kind that keeps you out for days, not hours. And with West Ham’s season on the line, Nuno faces a brutal decision.
If he’s borderline, he plays. That’s the reality of a must win game.
‘They need everyone’
West Ham have no room for error. Spurs are two points above them. A win at Newcastle would cancel that advantage. A point won’t do it. Nuno has to throw caution to the wind.
But without Traore? That wind loses its bite.
“He’s a new injury concern for West Ham United, who otherwise have a pretty fit squad,” a source said.
“It’s a must win game for the Hammers, so if he’s borderline in terms of fitness, he’ll play. They need him, and simply put, they need everyone, because the potential drop to the Championship looms.”
That last line is the killer. The drop looms.
The paucity of talent laid bare
If Traore is ruled out, Venezuelan loanee Keiber Lamadrid is likely to be the only winger available off the bench.
That’s it. That’s the alternative.
It reveals the paucity of talent available to Nuno. And it kind of sums up West Ham’s predicament right now. A squad that looked thin on paper has been stretched to breaking point. Now, at the exact moment they need everyone firing, they’re facing up to the prospect of being without one of their most dangerous attackers.
What happened against Arsenal
Nuno’s tactical switch against the Gunners, three centre backs, Pablo left on the bench nearly paid off. The defence held firm. For 80 minutes, it worked.
Then the last ten minutes happened. Plus infamous stoppage time. Arsenal found a way. West Ham left with nothing.
Spurs failed to capitalise last weekend. That’s the only reason this relegation battle is still alive. But West Ham cannot rely on favours forever.
The bottom line
Sunday. Newcastle away. Win or bust.
Traore is a doubt. Lamadrid is the backup. The squad is thin. The pressure is immense.
Nuno has to throw caution to the wind anyway. The alternative is the Championship.
And if Traore is borderline? He plays. Because West Ham have run out of options. And run out of time.
