There are this evening major Gianluca Scamacca fears as the West Ham striker is absent from training before this weekend’s Everton clash.
The old saying it never rains but it pours appears to be very apt for West Ham and David Moyes right now.
Moyes is under huge pressure after the Hammers slipped into the relegation zone following the defeat to Wolves last weekend.
And talk in West Ham circles is that this weekend’s huge six-pointer against his old club Everton is very much last chance saloon for the Scot as the Hammers chase a first win in EIGHT Premier League games.
The big problem for West Ham this season has been goals. The east Londoners have scored a pathetic 15 goals in 19 Premier League games – the second worst record in the top flight.
Michail Antonio has looked an increasingly spent force at Premier League level having seen his form drop off a cliff over a year ago.
Meanwhile £35m summer signing Scamacca has struggled with a lack of service.
The Italian scored in the recent 2-2 draw at Leeds.
But he did not feature in the FA Cup win at Brentford with West Ham revealing he had a “minor knock” sustained in the match at Elland Road.
An injury expert made a seriously worrying claim about the Hammers forward ahead of the Wolves clash suggesting his injury could be more ‘sinister’ than first feared.
Scamacca came on as a second half sub at Wolves.
But now there are major Scamacca fears as the West Ham striker was absent from training before the Everton clash.
A four-minute video posted on West Ham’s official website titled ‘Behind the scenes: Irons prepare for Everton’ showed Moyes and his staff overseeing training at Rush Green.
And there is absolutely no sign of Scamacca in any of the footage, which includes a training ground match.
That has sent West Ham fans into meltdown with talk on social media that Scamacca is facing a spell on the sidelines.
There could be an innocent reason for Scamacca’s absence. Or Moyes may be wrapping him in cotton wool to have him available for Everton after his recent knee “knock”.
Supporters are understandably concerned, though, with the spectre of relegation looming large over West Ham.
The Hammers have been linked with a host of strikers in the January transfer window.
And they will have to redouble their efforts if the Italian is carrying an injury which could see him sidelined for a spell given that every one of West Ham’s remaining 19 games are so important.