West Ham United team news v Fulham in new Alphonse Areola update
West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has a 50 per cent chance of playing against Fulham, according to Ben Dinnery.
The injury expert has reported on his Premier Injuries website (9 September) that the Frenchman is currently being assessed after the injury he sustained against Manchester City.
Aaron Cresswell is the only other player said to be ruled out of the trip to Craven Cottage on Saturday 14 September for Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham United injury news on Alphonse Areola
Although Lukasz Fabianski is a solid understudy to Areola, the gulf in quality between the two is glaring.
It took a while for the Hammers to take the plunge and use the Frenchman over the Poland international but once they did, the former Paris Saint-Germain man has made the number-one spot his own.
The club have made several improvements to their squad across the summer transfer window with the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Max Kilman being added to Lopetegui’s ranks.
Areola’s injury came at a poor time, with new defensive arrivals Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean Clair-Todibo both still needing to be fully integrated into the first-team squad as they haven’t had much time to gel with their teammates as of yet.
While nothing is guaranteed, the 50 per cent chance of Areola returning is far better than many would have likely expected, especially after he was forced off the pitch against Man City.
In other West Ham news, Tomas Soucek has been blasted by his national media following his Czech Republic display.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.