Josh Ajala's West Ham treatment raises a question Nuno Espirito Santo must answer

Josh Ajala must be wondering what more he has to do at West Ham.

The 19-year-old notched a brace in the 4-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton in August.

However, he has barely featured since, with just nine minutes in the Championship and 51 minutes in the cup loss to Fulham.

Ajala has been on the bench for four of the six league games since those exploits, with one substitute appearance against Wrexham.

The London Stadium starlet has featured just once in the second tier, and that is baffling.

Nuno Espirito Santo needs to answer the question about the youngster as he continues to be frozen out of his senior plans.

What question should Nuno be forced to answer about Josh Ajala?

The question that Nuno should be asked is why the youngster is not being handed more opportunities.

Obviously, the Portuguese manager has faith in Joel Piroe to lead the line, and has Valentin Castellanos in reserve.

However, Ajala has already shown that he can perform against top-quality Championship opposition, with his showing against the Saints.

Given that he can play as a striker, a number 10, or on the left flank, he should be getting more chances to feature.

It may become increasingly important given that Ajala seemed to be close to leaving the club before signing a new deal, and that tension could arise again.

Why West Ham may fear Ajala uncertainty

Ajala may become unhappy with his lack of game time in the near future, if he continues to be in the cold.

He was expected to leave the Hammers with clubs in France and Germany in talks over a move, before his unexpected shift.

The academy talent ended up signing a new deal, to remain with the Irons until summer 2028.

However, he may well end up considering his future again if he can't force his way into Nuno's plans.

The boss spoke positively about Ajala after the Saints result, saying: “Joshua Ajala is a boy with quality, a lot of things to improve.

“I always say that there’s always a big, big space to improvement as long as we keep committed and confident in the process."

However, his words suggest that he is still a long way from regularly featuring in the league, which may concern the player about the pathway.

It is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, so that the youngster is happy to stay put in E20 for the long-term.