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Lukasz Fabianski’s probable absence from West Ham United’s home Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Sunday is a major injury setback this week.
According to a report from Claret & Hugh, the Polish goalkeeper picked up an injury during the 1-0 loss to Manchester United, forcing him to be replaced by Alphonse Areola at halftime. He is now reportedly doubtful for this weekend’s Premier League match.
The Claret & Hugh source said: “However, he cannot be regarded certain for the game against Palace” despite the fact that the 37-year-old is not yet officially out of the running and the injury is not believed to be serious.
Despite the Hammers signed Areola on a five-year contract in the summer transfer window, Fabianski has secured the No. 1 spot so far this season, starting all 13 of his team’s Premier League games.
The Frenchman, on the other hand, has made appearances in the Europa Conference League. He started all five of the group-stage games, and while doing so, he managed to keep two clean sheets, one of which came in their most recent European match, a 1-0 triumph against Silkeborg IF.
Although the Polish international has a capable replacement, the news of his likely absence is nevertheless disappointing for manager David Moyes, who will prefer to have a stable lineup with his best players available.
The shot-stopper who makes £65k a week firmly fits into this category. He had a particularly strong outing on the road trip to Liverpool, where he earned praise from the opposing manager Jurgen Klopp for the “wonderful saves” he made to keep his side in the game, even though they ultimately lost 1-0.
The 57-time Poland international is third among Premier League goalkeepers who have started at least two games in this category with a save percentage of 78.3%, only behind Kepa Arrizabalaga and Jordan Pickford, demonstrating how important he is to the squad.
As a result, the veteran goalkeeper’s likely absence on Sunday would be a significant blow to the Hammers, and Moyes will be hoping that Areola can show that he is a worthy replacement.
