David Moyes has confirmed that Gianluca Scamacca will not play again this term but expects the striker to be fit for the start of West Ham’s pre-season.
Scamacca was a £30.5million signing from Sassuolo last summer but has endured a difficult first season in English football, scoring only three times in the Premier League and struggling with injury.
The 24-year-old has not featured for the Hammers since the Europa Conference League last-16 against AEK Larnaca in March and has since undergone knee surgery, but Moyes had previously suggested the Italian could yet recover in time to be involved in next month’s final in Prague.
However, speaking ahead of his side’s final League game of the season at Leicester on Sunday, Moyes confirmed that the forward’s campaign is over.
“I see him being nowhere near it,” Moyes said of Scamacca’s chances of making the final. “He’s not back training and not back [in London]. He’s still doing his rehab in Italy just now, so I don’t expect to see him back before then, no.”
The news means Scamacca is almost certain to miss Italy’s Uefa Nations League semi-final against Spain in mid-June, as well as a possible final.
That could be a blessing from a West Ham perspective, however, with the player expected to be fit for the start of the preseason and therefore likely to travel on the tour to Australia in July.
“I don’t think he’s too far away now, but not quite close enough,” Moyes added. “He had his operation about four weeks ago, so he has still a few weeks of rehab to do but hopefully, he will be back ready at the start of pre-season.”
