Friday, March 29, 2024

Shaqiri major doubt for West Ham trip – Hughes

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 4 Nov 2016

81 Views

Xherdan Shaqiri is a major doubt for Stoke City’s visit to West Ham United after failing to train all week, Mark Hughes has revealed.

The Switzerland international was forced off after just 26 minutes in Monday’s comprehensive 3-1 win over Swansea City due to a hamstring problem.

It turned out to be a recurrence of an injury he has had to contend with before, one which he has previously been able to continue playing with.

However, the fact that the injury flared up on Monday as opposed to Saturday means he has had significantly less recovery time and unless he can train on Friday, he will not be involved at the London Stadium.

“He hasn’t trained all week because of a bit of damage to the hamstring,” Hughes told reporters at a media conference.

“At this moment in time it appears that he will struggle to be available. There may be a slight opportunity, but he needs to train today and we need to see if he comes through that.

“If he does then he has a chance. It is a slight strain, which he has had before, and has been able to play with before.

“The difference this time is that he did it on the Saturday, whereas this time he did it on the Monday, so he has had a day or two less to recover.”

West Ham have attracted criticism this season for the behaviour of their fans at the London Stadium, with their supporters in the news for disturbances against Middlesbrough and Chelsea.

Saturday will see the ground host its first match since the trouble in the EFL Cup tie against Antonio Conte’s side and Hughes said Stoke have been assured of tightened security.

“It is disappointing because when you see some of the scenes recently it is like from days gone by,” he added.

“You don’t want to see those situations developing. We have been reassured there is a different policy this weekend, there will be a greater police presence in the ground.

“We are comfortable with that. We have a fantastic following on the road and we are also proud of how they behave and how they conduct themselves when they travel.

“We hope that what is in place will be adequate to keep our supporters safe.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top