West Ham dealt massive injury blow as Pablo is ruled out “for a while” due to calf injury

West Ham United have been dealt a massive injury blow ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Bournemouth at the London Stadium on Saturday.

West Ham Blog reveals that manager Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that Brazilian striker Pablo Felipe will be “out for a while” due to a calf problem.

The Portuguese manager has said that there wasn’t a timeframe for Pablo’s return, and the news comes as a huge blow to West Ham’s survival battle heading into the run-in.

West Ham invested heavily in Pablo during the winter transfer window, paying €20 million (£17.4m) to bring him in from Gil Vicente.

The 22-year-old arrived in East London with a growing reputation after making a statement in the Portuguese top flight, where he bagged 10 goals in 13 league games.

Those impressive numbers convinced West Ham to fork out a sizable fee to lure him to East London.

However, English football has proven to be a tougher challenge for the Brazilian striker so far.

Pablo has made six appearances across the Premier League and FA Cup, playing a total of 328 minutes without registering a goal or assist.

On paper, that return looks disappointing. A striker’s primary objective is to score goals, and it wouldn’t take long for him to be branded a “flop” if the goal drought continues.

However, even after failing to replicate his goalscoring prowess in the Premier League, Pablo has earned the trust of the manager and made himself a fan favourite in East London.

Pablo has made a strong impression from his first minute in English football, with the Brazilian drawing plenty of praise for his “relentless work rate”.

Pablo works hard for the team. He’s relentless when closing down defenders or pressing goalkeepers, and he fights for every loose ball as if the match depends on it.

That energy has made him valuable to Nuno and is appreciated by the club faithful.

There’s a general feeling that the young striker is still adapting to English football, and it’s only a matter of time before he opens his Premier League goalscoring account.

Pablo signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, with the option of an extra year. But from his first outing, it was clear he was ready to fight for the badge.

His absence will be felt, but it also paves the way for Valentin Castellanos and Callum Wilson to step up.

Like Pablo, Castellanos is also adapting to English football following his move from Lazio. He opened his goalscoring account in the 2-1 FA Cup third round victory against Queens Park Rangers.

He also scored his first Premier League goal in the 2-0 win over Burnley and will be hungry for more.

Wilson’s experience will also come in handy for West Ham.

The England international has bagged five goals in 22 Premier League games for the Hammers this season, although he has only started nine games.

West Ham will need both available strikers to pitch in more goals as they battle to maintain their Premier League status in the final 12 games of the season.

The Hammers sit 18th in the Premier League table after picking up 24 points from 26 games. But their fate is in their own hands, with just three points separating them from 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.

Interestingly, West Ham are also just five points away from London rivals and fallen Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

Nuno’s side have improved in recent weeks after winning three of their last five Premier League games (D1, L1). They’ve also won five of their last seven games, including cup wins against QPR and Burton Albion.

The importance of picking up points against Bournemouth, who are dealing with injuries of their own, cannot be overemphasised. After that, West Ham will face Liverpool, Manchester City, and Aston Villa in their next five games.

Securing a win against the Cherries will improve the morale in the dressing room ahead of their upcoming trial by fire.

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