Declan Rice showed his commitment to the West Ham cause this season by turning up to watch the weekend friendly with Fulham.
And the Irons want the England midfielder to return to action for the Boxing Day trip to Arsenal.
Rice has rejected bids by the East London club to extend a contract which expires in June 2024. And the 23-year-old dropped a huge hint in Qatar that he will look to leave in the summer when he said: “I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies. You only get one career.”
West Ham sit just a point off the drop zone after losing their last three Premier League matches before the break and visit leaders Arsenal on Boxing Day.
Rice is set to return to training this week after time off following England’s World Cup elimination in the quarter-finals.
During the 1–1 draw at Craven Cottage, Rice posted on Instagram : “Good to be back watching the boys.”
And assistant manager Billy McKinlay said: “It was good he was here watching - he must be bored already. He has played a lot of high-profile, full-on games, like the other boys. They will be fine with a couple of days rest and then they will be ready to go.
“I would hope Declan and the other World Cup players to be in contention on Boxing Day. It is a brilliant day against Arsenal, probably the best team in the first half of the season. I am sure we will be ready to go.”
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France reserve keeper Alphonse Areola and Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd were still involved in matches this weekend while Lucas Paqueta (Brazil) and Thilo Kehrer (Germany) made earlier returns from Qatar.
Michail Antonio did not play against Fulham because of a tight calf Gianluca Scamacca is a doubt for Arsenal after getting subbed off with an ankle injury.
But his replacement Jarrod Bowen scored the second-half equaliser - Carlos Vinicius had opened the scoring before the break - to impress McKinlay.
“It was a good finish,” said the Scot. “It is always good for strikers to score. He has got goals in him. Maybe missing out on the England squad he will have something to prove. We don’t think he has got anything to prove and I think 60,000 West Ham fans wouldn’t think that either. It was obviously a big disappointment for him but he is not the type of boy to show it.”
