El Hadji Malick Diouf to eagerly await Marco Silva update after Fulham injury blow
El Hadji Malick Diouf will be waiting to hear from Marco Silva ahead of West Ham’s trip to Craven Cottage, as his job could be made easier against Fulham.
The Senegalese fullback has been one of the Hammers’ best performers throughout the season, with Diouf now joint-top for assists by defenders in the Premier League.
However, while his attacking threat has been a key asset, Nuno Espirito Santo will be relying on his defensive qualities on Wednesday evening as well.
The 21-year-old could be in line for a tricky matchup against the in-form Harry Wilson. The Welshman has 15 goal contributions this season.
There could be good news for Diouf, however, as Wilson was taken off against Tottenham on Sunday, with his fitness for Wednesday a doubt.
What is the latest on Harry Wilson’s fitness for West Ham fixture?
Wilson’s injury does not seem to be too serious, but with a short turnaround from Sunday to Wednesday, that could be enough to rule him out.
Speaking after the game, Silva said: “He twisted the ankle a bit. Let’s see how it’s going to be in the next few days,” and right now, that is the latest we have on the winger’s availability.
Now, Diouf will be waiting to hear anything more concrete on the 28-year-old’s availability.
In the reverse fixture, Wilson picked up an assist against West Ham, as Raul Jimenez netted an 85th-minute winner.
But on that occasion, Diouf was away with Senegal at AFCON, with Ollie Scarles deployed at left-back at the London Stadium.
Nonetheless, if the 28-year-old is not able to play, that will be excellent news for the Senegalese defender.
Although the job would be easier, there is still plenty of threats for Diouf to consider.
Who could Malick Diouf come up against in Wilson’s absence?
If Wilson is ruled out, then Samuel Chukwueze could be the likely man to take his place on Wednesday evening.
The Nigerian replaced Wilson against Tottenham, and his skillset would pose a completely different challenge compared to the Welshman.
Chukwueze is more known for his speed and dribbling compared to Wilson’s technical qualities on the ball.
However, Diouf may be primed to deal with the Nigerian, as over this season, he rarely gets dribbled past.
As per Sofascore, he only gets dribbled past 0.5 times per game.
After a strong performance against Liverpool for the West Ham defender, he will certainly have plenty of confidence in this London derby.
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