West Ham striker has handed his club great news over his ongoing knee injury problems by confirming he will be fit and ready for the club’s clash against Manchester City after featuring for Austria on Sunday evening.
The Hammers powerhouse has been struggling with a problem on his knee which has seen him have to receive medical attention on a regular basis in order to play, but despite the issues was a second half substitute in his country’s 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Probed about his injury after the game, Arnautovic confirmed things were okay and he would be ready for the Irons’ visit of the reigning champions in a great piece of news for Manuel Pellegrini.
He told Sky Sports in the post match interview (18:11, 19:05): “Yeah, I will be okay (for West Ham).
“This was the thing – two days in a row was a little bit too much but the gaffer asked me to play in the last 25 minutes if needed and it was needed, so I’m glad I could help.”
Opinion
Without Arnautovic the Hammers look toothless and so they will be delighted to hear that their star man feels as though he is ready to feature for the club after the international break. His knee problem has been a constant cause of concern for the Irons and it does not seem to be going away any time soon, but so long as it is managed properly and not causing the giant forward too many problems on the pitch then there should be no need to rest him and keep him on the sidelines. City are up next and that is a game that Manuel Pellegrini will not expect too much out of, but having Arnautovic missing would have almost ended any chances they would have of causing an upset. With him on the pitch, using his pace and physicality to harass defenders, then anything can happen and one moment of magic could be enough to shock Pep Guardiola and his men and give east London something to celebrate into the night.