West Ham Zone View: Hammers big-earner on outside looking in
It feels like West Ham United winger Andriy Yarmolenko is one of the most unlucky players at the club. He just can’t seem to get a break.
Every time he appears to be making a breakthrough and finding a run of form, he picks up an injury.
To be fair, with this latest problem he was in poor form prior to it occurring. Still, though, it’s scuppered his chance to make an impression under new manager David Moyes.
Now it looks like he’s on the outside looking in. The Evening Standard reported on Wednesday that he faces a battle to retain his first team spot once he returns from the injury that has kept him out since December.
It’s thought that the Ukraine international could be fit to face Liverpool in three weeks, but that the arrival of Jarrod Bowen and the impending return to fitness of Felipe Anderson has decreased his chances of starting anytime soon.
The report claims that, moving forward, Moyes wants to change the make-up of his squad to a younger, more dynamic set of players.
That spells bad news for the injury-prone 30-year-old. Another factor weighing against him is that he’s currently the club’s highest earner on £115,000-per-week.
You do get the feeling that he’s being fazed out in east London. There are simply too many other options for Moyes in attacking midfield.
There’s the aforementioned Bowen and Anderson, as well as Robert Snodgrass, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals, Michail Antonio. Plus next season there will be Grady Diangana and Nathan Holland to contend with, as well.
It might be slightly unfair on the former Borussia Dortmund man considering he’s never been terrible in claret and blue, it’s just that things have gotten away from him.
In other West Ham news, a former Hammers star could be about to return to the club in a coaching capacity.