Nuno Espirito Santo may have a decision to make regarding Callum Marshall or Callum Wilson on Monday night against Brentford, but one player seemingly destined to start for West Ham United is Crysencio Summerville.
After eight months on the sidelines, the £30 million signing from Leeds is verging on the ‘undroppable’ already as he emphatically makes up for lost time in a Hammers jersey.
Nuno watched Summerville tear his Nottingham Forest side apart on his comeback appearance at the end of August. Since then – the winger set up Jarrod Bowen’s opener and won a penalty during a thrilling City Ground cameo – Crysencio Summerville has started every one of West Ham United’s last four Premier League matches.
He feels certain to make it a fifth when Brentford make the short trip across the capital in Monday’s late kick-off.
Although Nuno is yet to decide who will start up front the absence of his usual centre-forward – Niclas Fullkrug has undergone a scan to determine the severity of his latest injury – his chosen number nine is almost guaranteed to be flanked by Summerville on one side and captain Jarrod Bowen on the other.
Nuno’s plans for West Ham United trio Crysencio Summerville, Callum Marshall and Callum Wilson
Concerns were raised when Summerville was seemingly missing from West Ham training a week ago. Nuno has now moved to calm those fears, while spelling out his plan to make the most of the Dutchman’s searing pace and his ability to terrorise full-backs.
“I think [Summerville has] a lot of talent,” Nuno said. “He has his own specific characteristics. Speed. Very, very aggressive one-on-one.
“What we have to do, a team, is to give Cry the chance to do his actions with space and time. It is our job to give the ball to our front players in the right positions so they can deliver.”
Somewhat surprisingly, Nuno chose Callum Marshall over Callum Wilson when Fullkrug made way an hour into the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal last time out.
A 33-year-old Wilson brings plenty of Premier League pedigree and a proven goalscoring record, though Nuno has taken a liking to Marshall’s ‘energy’, his ‘mobility’, and an improving end-product reflected by a tally of four goals in three games for Mark Robson’s Under-21s.
The new boss would not confirm who of the two will start in Fullkrug’s absence against Brentford. He is, though, glad to have to a selection dilemma to occupy his mind.
“[Wilson vs Marshall is] a healthy fight for a position. Two different players, two different generations, but we count on both of them to try and solve our problems,” Nuno adds.
Luis Guilherme stands out as Nuno delves into West Ham’s fringe players
In a midweek interview with DAZN Portugal, Nuno opened up on West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes ‘challenge’ while insisting that there is more to come from Lucas Paqueta.
Both Fernandes and Paqueta represented their countries during the October international break, alongside Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and El Hadji Malick Diouf.
In their absence, the likes of Luis Guilherme seized the chance to impress at Rush Green.
“The international break, it’s always hard to work because many players go away,” Nuno says, again determined to highlight the positives. “Those that stay here work very well and hard and give us confidence moving forward.
“It’s a good chance for us. The players that were out [on international duty], we cannot be with them. But the players who were here, it was [some] really, really positive days. I think we are getting closer knowing each other.
“They are working really, really well, so that makes us proud and pleased.”
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