West Ham United head to Aston Villa on Sunday for another edition of the claret & blue cup. Recently installed manager Graham Potter gave an update today on the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville.
Let’s run through all that he said, and see where the squad now stands after Potter broke it all down.
West Ham United at Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sun Jan. 26, 4:30pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: West Ham United Aston Villa
Starting XI Predictions: West Ham United Aston Villa
Google Result Probability: Aston Villa 63% Draw 21% West Ham 16%
West Ham Team News at Aston Villa
Let’s start with Bowen (ankle/foot), Potter said: “Jarrod has been integrating [into] the group. He’s had a couple of sessions, but it’s still early. We’ve got another day tomorrow, so we’ll see, but it’s important we don’t rush it.”
Moving on from Bowen, to Todibo (unspecified/undisclosed), Potter said: “He’s progressing, but the weekend will come too soon for him, for sure.
“We need to help him get back fit because then he’ll help us.”
So while Todibo is ruled out, Bowen could make the matchday squad. Summerville (thigh) might be involved as well (provided he passes a late fitness test).
“It’s the same situation with Cry,” said Potter.
“He’s had a couple of sessions, but again, we need to make sure that he’s confident and we’re confident.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.