West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug looked set to miss most of the rest of the season with an injury but he might be returning sooner.
Niclas Fullkrug was ruled out for up to three months when he suffered a hamstring injury in West Ham’s FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa.
The blow was extremely disappointing for West Ham and the German, especially coming in Graham Potter’s first game at the helm.
And not least because, having just recently returned from three months out injured, Fullkrug was starting to show what he can do.
It was his excellent hold-up play which set West Ham on their way to going 1-0 up in that tie at Villa Park.
But with Fullkrug pulling up and Crysencio Summerville also going off, Villa had the impetus – and the thicker squad – to go on and win the match.
Fullkrug’s new injury actually piled more pressure on the man who brought him to the club, Tim Steidten.
The Hammers officially announced the departure of the German technical director after the window closed.
Brighton fan meets West Ham striker Fullkrug in Dubai
Supporters had questioned the wisdom of signing a near 32-year-old striker with a long history of serious injuries when Steidten agreed a £26.5m deal with Dortmund for the Germany international.
Those fan fears proved well founded with the two big injuries meaning Fullkrug has barely featured.
With Michail Antonio also out long-term, West Ham were forced to go out and sign a striker in the winter window.
Evan Ferguson has arrived on loan from Brighton.
The Irishman is nearly 12 years Fullkrug’s junior.
West Ham will be hoping Ferguson can hit it off under his old boss Potter at the London Stadium.
If he does then the owners will be under pressure to try and make the deal permanent.
Hammers legend Tony Cottee believes Ferguson can lead West Ham’s line for the next decade.
That will leave big question marks over the future of Fullkrug, who was being heavily linked with a return to Germany or move to Juventus before his latest injury.
Fullkrug was expected to be out for three months.
But he could be on course to return slightly earlier it seems.
Because a Brighton fan meets West Ham striker Niclas Füllkrug in Dubai and makes extraordinary claim.
Fullkrug back earlier than expected after extraordinary claim?
A young Seagulls fan named Julien shared a picture of himself alongside Fullkrug in his West Ham training gear.
The Hammers have been sending players to a recovery and rehabilitation facility in Dubai.
And it seems Fullkrug is there working on his own comeback.
Which, if the post is to be believed, is further down the line than many might think.
Because the fan posted posted the image with the West Ham striker alongside the claim: “Not every day is Fullkrug playing football with you and your friends.”
When questioned on the chance meeting with West Ham’s £26.5m man, the fan went into more detail.
He said he didn’t even know Fullkrug was out injured currently until he told the group.
The young fan also made it clear that Fullkrug ‘obviously wasn’t doing full sprints, more jogging’.
But he did note that the Hammers striker was so good he ‘still smoked us’ despite ‘not being 100 per cent fit’.
The fan added that the West Ham forward told him he was doing light training while in Dubai.
It is very significant that Fullkrug is mobile enough even for a light kickabout given the way he pulled up at Villa Park less than a month ago.
Having as many options as possible is vital for Potter. And it the new boss will want to assess a fully fit Fullkrug before making a decision on him come the summer.
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