Mohammed Kudus risks immediate West Ham future after what Julen Lopetegui said
West Ham United man Mohammed Kudus faces a battle to get back into Julen Lopetegui’s good books after his red card against Tottenham on Saturday (19 October).
Having scored the Irons’ first goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Kudus’ frustrations boiled over after his side went on to lose 4-1, being shown a straight red card with four minutes to go.
Kudus’ reckless challenge on Micky van de Ven led to a melee with both him and Pape Sarr, and an automatic three-match ban could be extended further if the FA take retrospective action [The Mirror, 21 October].
In quotes reported by the Irish Independent (20 October), Lopetegui said: “I am not going to say here what I am going to talk with him (about), but for sure we are going to talk.
“We are going to have time, and I’m sure he will be aware that he can improve his answer in this moment because it’s not good for him, for the club, and not good for the team.”
Mohammed Kudus has ground to make up after West Ham
Should Kudus’ minimum three-match ban potentially be doubled to six games, he could be unavailable for selection well into December – and that’s the last thing the out-of-form Hammers need.
Although his 18th-minute opener against Tottenham was only his first goal of the new season, Kudus remains arguably the most talented player in Lopetegui’s squad, and his absence will be felt.
Regardless of the length of his ban, and barring injury, Kudus will still be able to feature for Ghana over the international break – and finds himself in a similar situation for his country after lacklustre displays.
Being without his talisman ahead of a crucial run of matches is bad news for Lopetegui, but he’ll still be keen for Kudus to get back onside with the team-mates he let down with his Tottenham brain explosion.
With the way things are going for the Irons, Kudus’ return could even come with a new manager in post, but one thing is certain, and that’s the fact that he’ll face a fight to get back into first-team contention.
In other West Ham news, Jason Cundy gave his verdict at what the next few weeks could have in store for Lopetegui and his Irons.
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