Gianluca Scamacca and his two Czech teammates have received international call-ups despite their West Ham struggles.
Hopes were high at West Ham this season after the club spent £170m on eight new signings.
It says a lot about the progress made by the Hammers under David Moyes that the club has a host of international players, many of whom are going to the World Cup.
Around £35m of West Ham’s summer spend went on signing Italy striker Scamacca.
After impressing initially, Scamacca has struggled for West Ham of late having not scored for eight matches. The Italy forward is feeding on scraps in a team that has scored just 12 goals all season – the joint second worst in the top flight.
West Ham rounded off a woeful week with their third home defeat in six days against Leicester.
The result leaves West Ham just two places and one point off the relegation zone going into the World Cup break.
Scamacca is one of a number of players facing criticism this week. But he isn’t the only West Ham player out of sorts, though. Far from it.
Czech duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have been shadows of their former selves to name just two.
And the West Ham duo – like Scamacca – won’t be going to the World Cup after Italy and Czech Republic failed to qualify.
But Scamacca and his two Czech teammates have received international call-ups despite their West Ham struggles.
Italy and the Czech Republic have today announced their squads for two friendlies next week with Scamacca, Soucek and Coufal all called up.
Scamacca will be involved in Roberto Mancini’s 31-man Azzurri squad for games against Albania on Wednesday and Austria on Sunday – bizarrely scheduled for the same time Qatar play Ecuador in the World Cup opener.
Scamacca’s Italy and West Ham teammate Emerson has pulled out through injury.
West Ham duo Soucek and Coufal will be involved as the Czech Republic play the Faroe Islands on Wednesday and Turkey on Saturday.
The trio are then expected to be given a week to 10 days off along with the rest of their West Ham teammates before returning for training and some friendlies against the likes of Cambridge and Fulham.
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