By Peter Lynch

28th Mar, 2023 | 6:40pm

Lukasz Fabianski spotted in full West Ham United training at Rush Green after injury setback

Lukasz Fabianski has been pictured at West Ham training without protective equipment following the injury to his cheekbone and eye socket.

The goalkeeper had previously been training with protective equipment after picking up the fracture to both areas of his face in the win against Nottingham Forest at the end of February.

Fabianski had started West Ham’s first 24 matches of the current Premier League campaign before picking up the nasty injury.

The goalkeeper was pictured smiling and laughing, importantly without the need for a mask, during the club’s latest training session.

“Gearing up for the return of Premier League football,” West Ham posted on Twitter.

Returning at the right time

Subscribe to Football Insider TV now

Alphonse Areola has filled the hole in between the posts in Fabianski’s absence, but it is widely expected that the latter will return to the starting XI for the remainder of the season.

Areola hasn’t exactly performed badly, but given Fabianski’s experience and indeed his presence in between the sticks for the majority of the campaign, David Moyes looks set to rely on the Polish goalkeeper in the club’s fight for survival.

The Hammers will need all the help they can get, and at 37 years old, former Poland international Fabianski has been there and done it plenty of times over the years.

He has been training with the Hammers at Rush Green during the international break having called time on his Poland career in 2021.

It hasn’t been the best league campaign defensively for West Ham or Fabianski, with the shot-stopper keeping just four clean sheets.

But Moyes will be looking to leaders like Fabianski to really stand up and impress throughout the remainder of the campaign. Up next is a huge relegation clash against rock-bottom Southampton.