George Earthy could fulfill ‘impossible’ West Ham task vs Bournemouth after what Nuno Espirito Santo said
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo could be forced to call upon George Earthy against Bournemouth.
Earthy has suffered with injuries at West Ham this season, but could finally be on the right track with 11 games already gone at the London Stadium.
The Englishman is back in contention for Nuno Espirito Santo as West Ham prepare to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Bournemouth will represent a tough test for West Ham, even after their defeat against Aston Villa, so the Irons need to be on top form.
The claret and blue outfit already has a pre-match issue on their hands, something which could prove to be the perfect storm for Earthy.
Nuno Espirito Santo without Lucas Paqueta vs Bournemouth
West Ham are without Lucas Paqueta for the trip to the south coast after the attacking midfielder picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Burnley.
It’s clear the Irons boss has been affected by this, as Nuno spoke out in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Cherries’ clash.
He said: “[Paqueta is] irreplaceable, I would say. It is impossible to replace a player like Lucas. We have to be aware of what he means for us, what he gives us, his talent.
“A fantastic player. Irreplaceable. [But] we have to find solutions.“
Alongside Jarrod Bowen, Paqueta is one of the only top talents in the Hammers squad that could play for almost anyone else in the Premier League.
The Brazil international may have had a difficult season to this point, but there is no doubting his quality when he is on top form.
Nuno clearly is unsure how to replace him, but in Earthy, he could have the perfect option after a useful stint with Bristol City last season.
George Earthy could replace Paqueta for West Ham
The claret and blue faithful love to see an academy player break through and get a hold of a shirt in the first team.
That has already been seen this season with Freddie Potts, who now looks destined to be a regular starter across the rest of the season for Nuno.
Supporters would love to see Earthy take up a similar space in the squad after what was a superb campaign at Bristol City.
The 21-year-old has shown that he can cut it at a senior level, so the Hammers could seriously benefit from trusting him in the Premier League.
There may be reservations over chucking him into the first team after injury, but there may not be a better opportunity with Paqueta out.
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