West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca is close to making a full recovery from illness and is likely to be available for squad selection very soon, according to Hammers insider Claret & Hugh.
The Lowdown: Scamacca’s absence
The Italy international signed for the Hammers this summer in a deal worth £35.5m from Serie A side Sassuolo.
Having featured in all of the Irons’ opening four Premier League games, the 23-year-old was not included in David Moyes’ squad for their London derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea.
However, the West Ham boss then revealed that Scamacca had been absent due to illness rather than an injury, as quoted by football.london: “There’s a name for it where your gums and your throat (hurt) and he’s had it since after the Aston Villa game.
“He wasn’t well and hasn’t trained since then. We’re hoping the antibiotics would have maybe kicked in but they didn’t.”
The Latest: Close to return
Having missed the last two Premier League games, fans will be hopeful to see their new signing return to full fitness as the Hammers prepare for Thursday night’s UEFA Europa Conference League tie against FC Steaua Bucuresti.
To their pleasure, club insiders Claret & Hugh have provided an update on his well-being, revealing a positive boost for Moyes’ side.
As per their latest report, the Italian is recovering well and is likely to be available for selection very soon.
However, it remains to be seen whether he starts in the European clash on Thursday, and it is more likely to see him in the XI for Sunday’s league fixture against Newcastle.
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The Verdict: Huge boost
Despite having failed to score his first goal in the Premier League so far, Scamacca has been lethal in front of goal in the qualifying matches for the UECL, in which he netted two in two.
West Ham have been desperate to sign a clinical striker since last season, when Michail Antonio was the only recognised number nine at the club.
Thus, the 23-year-old’s underlying stats suggest Moyes may have found the perfect player to fill this position in his squad.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the forward ranks in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 84th percentile for shots total – illustrating his natural eye for goal.
Already described as a ‘quality’ signing by Antonio, Scamacca’s return to fitness will come as a huge boost for West Ham.
