West Ham United, the English Premier League club, secured a 3-2 victory over Nottingham last Sunday, marking their third consecutive win and pushing them into the top half of the league table. However, not all of their key players returned from international duty in ideal condition.
Striker Michail Antonio sustained a hamstring injury while representing the Jamaican national team. Winger Jarrod Bowen, who watched England’s 2-0 win over Malta from the bench, missed West Ham’s weekend game due to injury and will also be absent for their upcoming match against North Macedonia.
Midfielder Tomáš Souček, who scored the winning goal against Nottingham, suffered a nasty facial injury during a clash with a Polish opponent. Fans on social media compared his appearance to that of the fictional character Stihořuký Edward, who had hooks instead of hands. Despite the injury, Souček managed to finish the game against Poland and is expected to feature in the match against Moldova.
Another Czech player, Vladimír Coufal, was excluded from the national team due to an overnight curfew violation, which has caused concern among West Ham supporters about the state of their squad during this international break.
„This is not a good international break for us,“ expressed one West Ham fan on social media. Many Hammers supporters voiced their worries about the condition of their players during international duty. „You just have to love international breaks,“ added another fan sarcastically.
Some fans even stated that they prefer when their players are not called up for international duty, as it allows them to focus on the club and avoid potential injuries. James Ward-Prowse, who scored two goals in the game against Nottingham (one for Bowen and one for Souček), was particularly praised by West Ham fans, with many suggesting that he should have been included in the England national team.
After the international break, West Ham will face Burnley in a league match on Saturday. The question remains: with which squad will they enter the game?
