In a worst case scenario, Nuno Espirito Santo and West Ham United could be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf for six weeks due to their African Cup of Nations commitments.
Wan-Bissaka and Diouf are expected to jet off following Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa.
With the tournament running until January 18th, West Ham United’s two starting full-backs could miss upwards of seven Premier League and FA Cup matches, should DR Congo and Senegal reach the AFCON’s latter stages.
As a spokesman for the West Ham United board explains, in conversation with Hammers News, Wan-Bissaka and Diouf will be missing during a particularly winnable set of fixtures.
How DAMAGING will it be for West Ham to lose both Wan-Bissaka and Diouf?
And is this a make-or-break spell for Ollie Scarles?
Though, in a more positive slant, matches against the likes of Wolves and Nottingham Forest may provide an ideal opportunity for young Ollie Scarles to work his way back into favour.
Nuno welcomes Ollie Scarles back as West Ham United prepare to lose AFCON duo
Scarles suffered a dislocated shoulder in the 2-1 defeat by Leeds in October.
Speaking ahead of West Ham’s clash with Aston Villa at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon though, Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that the club’s reigning Young Player of the Year returned to training this week.
Now, that is what you call good timing.
“We are going to miss them,” Nuno said when asked about the impending absences of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf. “It’s something we are going to have to deal with as a squad, and find solutions inside the squad to compensate.
“We have natural full-backs. Oliver is back in training this week. He is another option for us. We will deal with that after. For now, they are involved in the game [against Villa].
“They have been playing and helping the team, so these are two players we are going to miss.”
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will say goodbye after Aston Villa clash
Can you figure out the MYSTERY MAN who played for both West Ham and Aston Villa?
Get the brain ticking!
While West Ham will lose two of their regular starters, fellow strugglers Burnley will also be hard hit. Lyle Foster, Hannibal Mejbri and Axel Tuanzebe, a teammate of Wan-Bissaka’s for DR Congo, are also set to miss the coming weeks.
Fulham will be without Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze when they host the Hammers two days after Christmas. Struggling Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, will bid a temporary farewell to midfield powerhouse Ibrahima Sangare, as well as defensive back-up Willy Boly.
“Of course [I will be watching AFCON], especially the matches our players will be involved in,” adds Nuno, the Sao Tome-born coach. “But normally, I see all the competition. The African Cup of Nations is always very enjoyable because the games are open and you can see good actions.
“I don’t go there to work, just to enjoy the football.”
Nuno Espirito Santo look forward to Unai Emery reunion
Nuno issued a blunt response to any transfer-related posers when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Lazio winger Mattia Zaccagni were brought up out the blue. But he was a lot more willing to discuss the strengths of Sunday’s opponents.
[Aston Villa are] a very good team with a very good manager and very good players,” Nuno said, Villa winning ten of their last 11 top-flight matches and beating Arsenal last time out .
“”They didn’t start the season well and look where they are now! We know we are going to face a tough test with very good quality. It’s a squad that has been together for some time with Unai Emery. You can see the patterns, the idea, the identity. A very good team, Villa.
“We know we are always going to face tough opponents, so there’s no big difference. We focus on ourselves, how we can compete and try to be accurate on the details we can pass to the players.”
“I have big admiration for Unai, and he knows that I respect him. One of us is going to be delighted! But it’s always based on respect and admiration.
“They have a very good group of midfielders that play,” Nuno added, talking up the qualities of Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans. “We have our midfielders and, many times it’s a man-to-man situation.
“So we have to equal and maybe be better than them! If we can do that, maybe we can compete well.”
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