Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Thu 12 March 2026 8:40, UK

Fears over the severity of West Ham United star Crysencio Summerville’s injury are being downplayed.

The former Leeds United winger sustained a calf injury during West Ham’s FA Cup fifth-round win over Brentford on Monday.

The 24-year-old came on for Adama Traore in the second half and played through extra time but didn’t take a penalty in their 5-3 shootout win at London Stadium.

Speculation has mounted that the Hammers talisman, who has scored seven goals and added four assists in all competitions this season, could face an extended spell on the sidelines.

Indeed, it seemed likely he would return after the March international break.

However, reports out of the Netherlands suggest Summerville could be back sooner than some think. That will be a big boost to West Ham and a blow to their relegation rivals.

Crysencio Summerville injury and international boost

Off the back of Summerville’s strong form in 2026, West Ham have gone from looking like relegation certainties to being one of the in-form teams in the bottom half of the table.

West Ham are now outside the relegation zone on goal difference, with Nottingham Forest looking nervously over their shoulder in 17th.

Tottenham are just one point ahead, with Leeds United holding a three-point cushion over the drop zone. Summerville has been vital to West Ham’s uptick in form and now Voetbal Primeur states his calf injury is less severe than expected.

A definitive answer will emerge in the coming days, with the report stating he intends to return to action on 22 March against Aston Villa.

As this Sofascore graphic above shows, getting Summerville back as soon as possible will be key to West Ham’s chances of staying up.

If this report is correct, Summerville will miss Saturday’s home clash against Manchester City but could face Villa.

Moreover, he is being tipped to make the Dutch squad for their friendlies against Norway and Ecuador on March 27 and 31 respectively.

While a national team call-up isn’t certain, Orange boss Ronald Koeman recently expressed his delight at the 24-year-old’s form.

He said: “A player who plays in the Premier League, is important at West Ham and can play both left and right, we look at that carefully.”

Summerville’s suitors grow ahead of summer

In 2026 alone, West Ham’s Summerville has chalked up an impressive nine goal contributions in all competitions.

Only captain Jarrod Bowen is close to that with eight, highlighting how important the duo are to West Ham’s survival bid.

The Hammers are still in the bottom three but they look primed to leap out of that predicament after recent wins over Fulham and Burnley.

They have also earned draws with Bournemouth and Manchester United; allowing their points total to tick over.

Incidentally, West Ham have admitted they will need to sell players this summer even if they stay up, after announcing losses of £104million for the 2024-25 financial year.

Summerville would likely be one of their most valuable assets and that has led to links with Napoli, while Tottenham have also been credited with interest.

If West Ham do go down, though, Summerville will not stick around, with many of his teammates likely to follow suit, too.