West Ham’s attacking midfield maestro Manuel Lanzini will miss the entirety on next season in a massive bombshell following his injury blow, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Argentinian winger, who suffered the setback while on international duty prior to his country’s World Cup campaign, has been handed the devastating news that he is looking at a return date 15 months after picking up the cruciate ligament damage.
It is stated that Lanzini, a favourite in the Hammers’ first team, is heartbroken by the update, having undergone surgery to fix the injury, having previously been told he might make it back for the end of next season, but instead will have to wait until next summer to make a return to action.
Opinion
Injuries might be part and parcel of football, but suffering such a hammer blow is a cruel twist of fate for a player who would almost certainly have been dazzling for Argentina on the biggest stage of all this summer. Now West Ham know they will have to do without his services for the long-term future, and that could trigger a sudden transfer hunt to try and source a replacement. Finding someone who can offer the same flair and creativity will be a tough task for Manuel Pellegrini and it will no doubt cost a pretty penny, especially with other clubs knowing how desperate they will be to find someone to fill in for Lanzini. Now all the Argentinian star can do is focus on his recovery and make sure he is fully fit and over the injury, both physically and mentally, by the time he returns to action.