Mohamed Diame could be out of action for West Ham for around three months. It’s a huge blow for the club for a number of reasons.
Mohamed Diame has been one of the most consistent players for West Ham this season as they hunt a European place. He was stretchered off during the defeat against Liverpool and West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has said he could be out for three months if the hamstring problem is confirmed as a grade three tear.
Diame has been an ever present in the West Ham team this season. He has made 14 starts and one substitute appearance which is a nod towards his consistency. Allardyce hasn’t had to think about how Diame fits into his system or whether he should be in the side so his injury creates a diverse range of problems.
“I would expect, in medical terms, for it to be a grade three [injury] and that could be anything up to 12 weeks. It does not take a medical expert to know it is a serious hamstring tear when he falls and stopped the way he did. For us he is about the start and build-up of most of the creative side of our game – he runs at them [defenders] with pace and ability that puts them on the back foot,” said Allardyce after the match.
The creative side of his game is what West Ham will miss the most. They are a team that rely on clever players in the midfield to feed the main striker because West Ham predominantly play with only one striker up front which places a little extra pressure across the midfield players.
They will also miss his presence in the middle. He is very hard to wrestle the ball away from because his frame gives him the strength to resist most challenges. The Hammers do have cover with Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble who both have a mix of his qualities but few have been more effective for West Ham this season.
There will now be greater strain across the midfield of the team over a busy Christmas and New Year period. Allardyce would have been planning a little bit of squad rotation to ensure that all of his midfield players stay fresh and fit but this news means he will be forced to play the same players frequently which can cause burnout as there is no winter break in England.
“That is what we have lost and what we will be missing for a number of weeks so we are going to have to be a bit more dogged and resilient with the players we have got available, rather than have the more creative side we have had from Mo,” added Allardyce.
image: © Tom Cuppens
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
