Could Andriy Yarmolenko still have a big impact for West Ham after impressive return?

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West Ham have some incredibly tough games coming up over the next few weeks.

The Hammers face a trip to Tottenham sandwiched by home games against Wolves and Chelsea.

The east London outfit then have a decent run of six winnable games to finish the season, Manchester United away excluded.

And David Moyes needs every single option available to him in the run-in.

So with that in mind, Andriy Yarmolenko’s return for the under-23’s last night should be a big boost for the Scot and West Ham.

The left-footed attacker racked up two assists in the 3-3 draw with Derby County’s under-23’s – a game that the Hammers eventually won on penalties. He also played the full 90 minutes.

The 30-year-old has been out of action since injuring his thigh against Southampton in December.

Yarmolenko began the season in fine fettle, scoring three goals in his first six games, but as West Ham’s season began to derail, so did the 86-capped Ukraine international’s form.

Since the end of September, the former Borussia Dortmund ace has racked up just one assist and no goals in nine appearances.

On his day, he is clearly a very good footballer, however. Yarmolenko is a deadly finisher when cutting inside onto his left foot, and he provides the Hammers with an entirely different option in the final third.

So could the 30-year-old still have a key role to play for West Ham this season?

Having another option in attack could be vital for the Hammers. Moyes has Felipe Anderson, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen as wide attacking options available to him.

But if there comes a time during the run-in when one or two of those players aren’t firing on all cylinders, Yarmolenko could be a really useful weapon for West Ham.

The 30-year-old’s goalscoring record during his time with Dynamo Kyiv proves just how lethal he can be, with 137 goals in 340 games to his name (Transfermarkt).

And perhaps if the Ukrainian could chip in with three of four goals between now and the end of the season, the Hammers might just be able to avoid relegation.