Al Jazira’s on-loan midfielder Manuel Lanzini could be sidelined for ‘four to six weeks’ after limping off during West Ham’s victory over Liverpool.
Lanzini, 22, had only returned from a spell on the sidelines on Monday in West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Southampton, and he gave a timely reminder of his importance to Slaven Bilic’s side with an impressive display against Liverpool before his injury-enforced withdrawal just before half-time.
“We will know more about Manuel’s injury after the scan on Monday but it could be 4/6 weeks,” West Ham co-chairman David Gold posted on Twitter. “He was superb today.”
Bilic was more upbeat about Lanzini’s injury, although the West Ham manager will be awaiting the results of the tests.
“They have told me a little bit and I will hear more tomorrow,” he said. “It is not big. It is the same, it is not the hamstring or the muscle, it is some kind of abductor and the tendon. I hope it is going to be like they have said now, just a little bit (of time out).
“If you watch the games again, the impact he made against Southampton and the way he orchestrated today with 22 players on the pitch, but with him bossing the game, (you can see) what he means to us.”
Lanzini has proved a fine addition to West Ham since joining the club on-loan from Al Jazira, and as revealed by The National, the Argentine is expected to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
“If they decide before April 30 to buy Lanzini then they have to pay €10m,” Jazira’s CEO, Ayed Mabkhout, said. “If they pay it, we will take it.
“There have been no discussions with West Ham until now, but I think they’re going to do it. His performance has been very good up to this moment and they need the player, but we have to wait for something official from them.”
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