Nuno Espirito Santo has one single Christmas wish as far as West Ham United duo Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf are concerned.
Stay fit, and stay healthy.
Wan-Bissaka and Diouf are on AFCON duty for the time being. DR Congo kicked off their campaign on Tuesday against Benin. El Hadji Malick Diouf’s Senegal will get their pursuit of a second African Cup of Nations title underway later on Tuesday with a 3pm kick-off against Botswana.
A London DERBY awaits! 🎡
How are you feeling ahead of West Ham v Fulham? How important is this fixture?
Nuno Espirito Santo is praying for no AFCON injuries at West Ham United
Speaking ahead of West Ham United’s London derby with Fulham on the other side of Christmas, meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo is just hoping that Diouf and his fellow full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka return ready to contribute immediately to a gruelling survival battle.
“I was watching Aaron’s game just now,” Nuno said during a press conference which kicked off during the half-time interval during DR Congo vs Benin. “Malick will get involved at 3pm.
“I wish him all the best. Stay healthy!”
Nuno hopes to have Ollie Scarles available for Fulham, in the meantime. He was forced off an hour into Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, although Ezra Mayers impressed the Hammers supporters off the bench on what was only his second Premier League appearance.
“We are training, training, and training, preparing for the upcoming matches. It’s a very busy schedule,” Nuno adds.
“Fulham are a good side. We saw their game yesterday [a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest]. They are playing well, so they will be a tough opponent. Like all games in the Premier League, it will be very intense and demanding. It’s going to require a lot of positive actions from us.
A handful of stars played for BOTH West Ham and Fulham!
What changes would you make to this XI? And who would you pick to play for Nuno now?
“We need to improve. Since day one, I have told you that we need to get better both defensively and offensively. Sometimes things work well and we score, but sometimes we concede more than we should.
“We are still chasing our primary objective; keeping a clean sheet and being solid and compact as a unit.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
