West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek injury not serious – Dinnery
West Ham United have received some very good news regarding the fitness of central midfield maestro Tomas Soucek and his injury.
The Czech Republic international missed Thursday night’s home victory against FC Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League after picking up a knock on his foot against Chelsea last weekend.
He was replaced in the side by summer signing Flynn Downes who impressed on his first start for the Hammers alongside Declan Rice while Soucek sat and watched from afar.
The 27-year-old could well be back for the next Irons fixture in Europe though as injury specialist Ben Dinnery provided a crucial update for supporters.
“Tomas Soucek picked up a bit of a foot problem against Chelsea, nothing too serious,” he said on the Fantasy Premier League’s Injury Show (8 September).
No problem
If such an injury had struck last season, David Moyes would be worrying about who would partner Rice in the midfield with Manuel Lanzini often the most usual stand-in.
But West Ham knew that was a problem over the summer and moved to bring Downes to his boyhood club from Championship outfit Swansea City for £12million.
He has been restricted to just one minute of Premier League playing time so far as he came on for Soucek against Chelsea but he has featured a little more in Europe with two half-hour substitute appearances before Thursday’s full 90.
Of all the West Ham players on show, he was arguably the best of the bunch and Moyes will have been delighted to see another top quality central midfielder within his ranks.
Soucek can now be patient and cautious in his return from injury because his presence no longer impacts the results of the team in the same way it might have done last season.