MX23RW : Thursday, December 19 18:43:40| >> :120:27031:27031:

Manuel Pellegrini excited for Jack Wilshere return

Pellegrini excited for Wilshere return
© Reuters
The midfielder has not played since the start of December.

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini hopes the imminent return of Jack Wilshere can provide a "good injection" for his team.

Wilshere has not played since the start of December as he continues to battle ankle problems. but the 27-year-old midfielder has been stepping up his recovery and recently turned out for the under-23s.

Samir Nasri and Manuel Lanzini both look set to miss Saturday's home Premier League match against Leicester and while Pellegrini is mindful not to rush Wilshere back too soon, he believes the former England midfielder can have a positive impact when fully fit.

"We will see tomorrow how he feels. He's played already one game for the under-23s. We will talk with him, but it will be soon," said Pellegrini, who confirmed Wilshere had been training "without problem" as he steps up his recovery.

"This week or next week. He will play some games before the end of the season."

The West Ham boss added: "I think he is a midfielder that we need because in that position we have so many times all of those injuries. The return for Jack to the team will be a good injection for the team."

Forward Marko Arnautovic has recovered from the illness which saw him miss last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.

Javier Hernandez will be monitored after an ear problem stopped him from taking part in full training for a couple of days.

West Ham host the Foxes having lost three successive matches, winning just two of the past seven.

Pellegrini, though, feels it has overall been a solid season of progress from some of their previous struggles – and one which could yet end with the club in the top 10.

"Having so many important players injured for so long is not easy, but always, I feel we can do it better," Pellegrini said at a press conference reported by the club.

"There are a lot of results that we could have improved. Maybe for this season, it is OK."

West Ham have finally installed their long-awaited claret-coloured pitch surround at the London Stadium, which will be officially unveiled at the Leicester game.

A crowd-surfing banner and pyro display will greet the players ahead of Saturday's match.

Pellegrini said: "It is a good idea to have it the colour of our club, so I think it is an improvement.

"It will help with the aesthetic, but also to define the pitch also."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '6031204b-c110-4521-85f0-b2be35f0b4cb');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Jack Wilshere return will boost West Ham \u2013 Manuel Pellegrini'});

ID:356632: cacheID:356632:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4864:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Lucas Moura takes the match ball after netting a hat-trick for Spurs on April 13, 2019
Read Next:
PL Team of the Week - Lucas, De Bruyne, Van Dijk
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea16104237191834
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City168352823527
6Bournemouth167452421325
7Aston Villa167452425-125
8Fulham166642422224
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1672736191723
11Brentford167273230223
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd166462119222
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham165472129-819
15Crystal Palace163761721-416
16Everton153661421-715
17Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1612131136-255


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!