Niclas Fullkrug is out injured for another THREE months in huge blow to new West Ham boss Graham Potter
NICLAS FULLKRUG is set to be sidelined for another three months as his West Ham injury nightmare drags on.
The German striker, 31, was forced off after just 15 minutes of Friday’s FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa with a serious looking hamstring injury.
Fullkrug, who missed three months of the first half of the season with an achilles injury, underwent a scan on Saturday which showed he is facing another long spell out.
Speaking after the game, new manager Graham Potter said: “I would imagine it’s quite a severe hamstring injury when you pull up like that so that’s a concern for us.”
Winger Crysencio Summerville was also taken off as a precaution and underwent a scan on Saturday but it is not clear how long the ex-Leeds man will be sidelined for.
Fullkrug has made just 11 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers following his £27.5million move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
Just five of those games have been starts and the German international has completed 90 minutes just once, in Julen Lopetegui‘s final game – a 4-1 defeat at Manchester City.
His loss, on top of Michail Antonio being out for the season and Jarrod Bowen until next month, leaves Potter desperately short up top as he looks to turn West Ham’s fortunes around.
The Hammers are looking to add a new forward in the January window and are targeting Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.
However, Ferguson has suffered an injury of his own this month while Brighton will not make a decision on his future until the end of the month.
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Potter has been told West Ham will be able to be active in the market this month, though they may be limited to just loan deals after significant summer spending.
Asked about transfers, the ex-Chelsea boss said: “We’ll have a think. If those players are out, it’s something we’ll look at.”
Potter has Danny Ings, who replaced Fullkrug at Villa Park, as an option or could use winger Mohammed Kudus through the middle against Fulham on Tuesday night.
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