West Ham United manager Graham Potter met the media yesterday, and in doing so, he gave injury updates on three players: Lucas Paqueta (ankle/foot), Vladimir Coufal (thigh/hamstring) and Nicklas Fullkrug (thigh).
Let’s start with the first two. “Lucas (Paqueta) has trained this week, as has Coufal,” said Potter.
West Ham United vs Newcastle United FYIs
Kickoff: Mon. March 10, 2025, at 8pm, London Stadium, UK
Team News: Newcastle West Ham
Starting XI Predictions: Newcastle West Ham
Google Result Probability: Newcastle 43% Draw 27% West Ham United 30%
PL Position, Form Guide: Newcastle 8th, 44 pts, DLLWW West Ham United, 16th, 33 pts DLLWW
Potter continued on:
“Obviously, we’ve got a few more days to go until the game, but if they react well, we’ve got a chance they’ll be involved in the game.’
“Lucas has been disappointed because he’s missed a couple of games with his injury, but he’s worked really hard to get back on the pitch. He’s done everything he’s needed to do in terms of rehab and now he’s back available.”
(Lots of fist pumping, actually double fist pumping! in the photos for this post)
So Paqueta most likely should be good to go while Coufal will need to pass a late fitness test. Moving on to Fullkrug, it looks like we won’t see the summer signing striker until after the international break.
“Niclas has trained with the team,” Potter indicated yesterday.
“It’s still early in terms of his involvement but it’s positive signs… and now it’s a case of building him up.”
Other than this trio of updates, the Irons injury/fitness situation remains the same.
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.