Why Tomas Soucek is final piece to West Ham's promotion puzzle as Nuno provides positive injury news

Tomas Soucek is closing in on a return to action for West Ham United.

The Czech Republic international has yet to play for the Hammers this season after picking up a thigh injury while at this summer's World Cup.

But the midfielder pledged his future to the Irons after their relegation from the Premier League, vowing to help them get promoted at the first time of asking.

Nuno Espirito Santo has had to use a fairly young midfield in the early stages of the season, but West Ham still find themselves at the right end of the table.

Arne Engels has come into form after his £22million move to E20, while Mohamadou Kante remains a solid option.

Now, the return of Soucek could be the difference between West Ham finishing in the play-offs or securing an automatic promotion spot.

Nuno Espirito Santo's Tomas Soucek update to lift West Ham

Soucek had a turbulent campaign last term, like many West Ham players, but there is a reason why supporters wanted him to stay.

Following the departure of Mateus Fernandes, Freddie Potts and more, it became even clearer that keeping the 31-year-old was crucial.

The Hammers face Wrexham at the London Stadium on Friday and have been given a boost ahead of the clash.

As reported by Roshane Thomas on X this Thursday, Soucek has been back in first-team training ahead of the clash.

West Ham didn't bring in many players during the transfer window, with reliance on players like Soucek to help the club get back to the Premier League straight away.

With the defensive midfielder now closing in on a return to competitive action, the data proves why he may be the final player needed for West Ham to kick on in their quest for Premier League football.

Key data behind huge Soucek boost

It would be hard to argue against the fact that West Ham's best midfield pairing on paper is Engels and Soucek.

Engels is more of a creative outlet, and the Hammers have already started to reap the rewards from allowing the Belgian to venture further up the field.

But it feels like an experienced sweeper is still missing behind him, but Soucek can be that man.

During what can be considered a poor 2025-26 campaign, the Czech made 1.76 tackles per game, winning 51.7 per cent of his ground duels and completing 78 per cent of attempted passes.

The Championship is one of the most physical leagues in the world, and Soucek fits right in, as he averaged 2.78 successful aerial duels in the league, while making over nine defensive contributions per game last term.

The experienced head is exactly what Nuno needs in the heart of midfield, and he's bound to pop up with some crucial goals, too.