While we’re currently in the midst of continental competition overload, the time is also already here to start previewing the next round of the Premier League. Friday night brings one fixture, West Ham United at Leeds United, and it’s a match with a significant injury list, at least when you combine the two teams. Leeds boss Daniel Farke issued some fitness updates, just a few hours ago, saying: “‘A few players are struggling with illnesses, Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk have missed team training. We’ll definitely take some late, late decisions.”
West Ham United at Leeds United FYIs
Kickoff: Fri. Oct 24, 8pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds, UK
Predicted Starting XIs for Both Sides: go here
Google Result Probability: West Ham 22% Draw 26% Leeds United 52%
PL Form: West Ham LLDLL Leeds United LWDLLL
PL Standing: West Ham 19th, 4 pts Leeds United 16th, 8 pts
Team News for Both Sides
Ampadu and Struijk will need to pass a late fitness test in order to feature in this one, due to their unspecified illnesses. Meanwhile Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnonto are in the same boat, but their issues are injuries to the groin/pelvic/hip area.
Said Farke: “Okafor and Gnonto are making some good progress in their rehab, but they were not able to complete the whole team training this week. Noah was not out as long as Willy, perhaps for him, it’s a bit more realistic to be involved, but we’ll see.”
Finally, Harry Gray has a similar problem, but his timeline for return is early next month.
Shifting gears to the Hammers, George Earthy and Niclas Fullkrug (both thigh) remain sidelined until sometime in November while Konstantinos Mavropanos is a new injury concern. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo said earlier today: “Dinos is injured. He came off, and he now has a scan to see the real injury that he has. I cannot answer exactly how long he’s going to be out. For sure, this game is not an option for us, unfortunately.”
Like Fullkrug and Earthy, he also has a thigh problem.
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. 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