West Ham's £22m Brazilian Firecracker Sidelined: Pablo's Calf Calamity Hits Hammers Hard
West Ham face Bournemouth without key January signing Pablo Felipe, out for six weeks with a calf injury, alongside suspensions for Freddie Potts and Jean-Clair Todibo, and Lukasz Fabianski sidelined. The 18th-placed Hammers hope to close the gap on Nottingham Forest but must improvise in attack with options like Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen. Nuno Espirito Santo's side comes off an FA Cup win, keeping the squad fresh for this crucial Premier League clash.
Alright, lads, grab a pint and pull up a stool because West Ham are staring down the barrel of another relegation scrap, and it's just got a bit messier. Sitting pretty at 18th in the Premier League – yeah, that glamorous spot just above the trapdoor – the Hammers are gearing up to host Bournemouth at the London Stadium this Saturday. The Cherries are flying high on a bit of form, but Nuno Espirito Santo's crew are desperate to claw back some ground on Nottingham Forest above them. Trouble is, they've got a casualty list longer than a queue at the chippy on matchday.
First off, the big blow: that €25 million (£21.8m) January splash on Brazilian hotshot Pablo Felipe. Remember him? The kid from Gil Vicente who was banging in goals like it was a video game – ten in 13 league games before the Hammers swooped. Fans grumbled about the fee for a Portuguese league lad, but blimey, he looked the part. Debuted in that gut-wrenching 2-1 home defeat to Forest (salt in the wound, that one), then started four on the bounce, lurking behind new mate Taty Castellanos. No goals yet, sure, but he was injecting some zip into an attack that's been flatter than a pint left out overnight.
Now? Calf strain. Six weeks out, minimum. It flared up during the Burnley clash on 7 February, apparently piggybacking on an old niggle. Cue the finger-pointing at the medical team – did they not spot that in the pre-signing check? He's missing key Prem games and an FA Cup last-16 showdown with Brentford. As reported by Joseph Saunders at FourFourTwo, this could be one of those 'what if' moments that haunts the relegation run-in.
It's not just Pablo nursing his pins. Suspensions sideline Freddie Potts and Jean-Clair Todibo, while third-choice keeper Lukasz Fabianski is still out with a back issue that won't quit. Nuno's juggling like a circus act. Against Burnley, he shoved Callum Wilson into that withdrawn forward role. Then, versus Man United, he shoved Tomas Soucek up top instead – and fair play, Soucek bagged their lone goal in a gritty 1-1 draw. Maybe not all doom and gloom?
West Ham do have firepower elsewhere. Jarrod Bowen's been a beast, and with an extra-time 1-0 FA Cup win over Burton at the weekend, Nuno could rest the big guns and blood some kids like Keiber Lamadrid and Ezra Mayers. Squad's fresh, at least – no excuses there.
Pablo was one of four hefty January buys, meant to turbocharge the attack for the business end. Instead, he's crocked, leaving Nuno to tinker. Wilson's a poacher, Soucek's a grafter, Bowen's the talisman. Bournemouth won't roll over, mind – they're in decent nick. Every game's a cup final now for the Irons. Lose this, and that gap to safety yawns wider.
Picture it: London Stadium buzzing, but with holes in the lineup. Nuno's got options, but Pablo's absence feels like losing your best striker mid-five-a-side. The medics better have their excuses ready if this tips them over the edge. Relegation battle? It's on, and the Hammers are limping into it. Cheers to hoping they don't bottle it – COYI!