Would a Marko Arnautovic injury kill West Ham’s season after the attacker was called up by Austria today?
It’s already been a turbulent season for West Ham United and one which could get worse – a lot worse.
David Moyes’s side are only three points above the relegation zone and Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at home Burnley, amid hostile fan protests and pitch invasions, has done little to boost optimism that they can survive.
Their survival hopes arguably hinge on Marko Arnautovic maintaining his excellent form for the rest of the season, but could an injury on international duty destroy Irons’ hopes of staying in the Premier League?
As confirmed by United’s official website today, Austria have included him in their squad for upcoming friendlies with Slovenia and Luxembourg later this month and the prospect of him returning injured is something that West Ham fans will dread.
With seven goals and three assists in 20 Premier League games, the former Stoke man, a £24 million signing last summer, has been the Hammers’ go-to-guy since Moyes took over from Bilic.
Nobody has created more goalscoring chances for West Ham this season than Arnautovic. He makes things happen and you wonder if Moyes’s side are doomed to go down if he doesn’t return in good nick.
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