ExWHUemployee: West Ham will not risk Ogbonna despite positive recovery
West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna is not scheduled to play again this season, claims ExWHUemployee.
Despite him being ahead of schedule in his recovery, the club do not want to risk him for the final game or two at the end of the campaign.
Instead, they want to offer him a new deal and ensure he's fully fit for pre-season post June.
Speaking on the West Ham Way podcast, Ex said, "He is ahead of schedule but a club's physio spoke to me and said although he is ahead of schedule, they may not risk him this season because at best, he might get one or two games.
"It will be better to have him back for pre-season and get him a new contract as obvious his contract is expiring in the summer.
"They are planning to give him a new deal."
New deal?
Ogbonna will soon be 34 and he's done little to prove he merits a new deal.
While he is a fan favourite and admired in the dressing room, the decision makers know that it makes little sense to offer a contract to someone that old and injury prone.
Instead, the Hammers should look at signing a younger centre-back who would improve the playing eleven and be at the club for the longer term.
Decisions like these are why the club are not available to go to that next level and challenge the league's elite teams.
Hopefully, they've got plans to rope in two centre-backs in the summer otherwise it's going to be another disastrous window as it was in January.