West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is hopeful that Niclas Fullkrug will return to fitness following the international break. The German forward has been sidelined for the last four games and will not be ready for the upcoming clash with Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Fullkrug’s start at West Ham, having joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, hasn’t gone as planned; he’s yet to score in his initial outings and was hampered by Achilles and calf injuries picked up while on national duty.
His anticipated comeback against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup was delayed due to a recovery setback, causing him to miss both the 5-1 loss at Anfield and the subsequent draw at Brentford.
Lopetegui said: “He’s still out, he’s not available. We would like him to be fit now but he is having little probl
“They are not very important problems, but it’s true we lost him from the first international break to the second one. Hopefully he is going to be ready for the next matches.”
The Hammers are eager to turn their season around, especially at home where they’ve lost their opening three fixtures at the London Stadium. Lopetegui acknowledged the pressure, saying: “Always our job is to live under this pressure.”
The Hammers boss emphasised the desire to secure a home win, saying: “It’s normal, we want to win and we haven’t won at home. We haven’t lost away either, but it’s not enough.
“That’s why we are working hard to face the next match and be able to beat Ipswich. That’s our main aim.”
On a positive note, Lopetegui will have Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez back from suspension for the Brentford match.
