Five West Ham United players were called up to represent their countries at the World Cup in Qatar but now only two are left standing.
Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and defender Nayef Aguerd remain in the Middle East with France and Morocco respectively as both nations go head-to-head on Wednesday night (December 14) for a place in the World Cup Final on December 18 against either Argentina or Croatia.
Thilo Kehrer has been out of the World Cup for nearly two weeks after Germany were eliminated in the group stages, finishing third behind Japan and Spain in Group E. For Lucas Paqueta and Declan Rice the pain of defeat in the World Cup quarter-finals is still fresh.
READ MORE: How Declan Rice and Lucas Paqueta can help West Ham for Arsenal clash after World Cup exits
Paqueta played in four of Brazil’s five matches in Qatar and Rice started every single game for England, with both sides falling at the last-eight hurdle after defeats against Croatia and France respectively.
Rice is one of only four players to have started every Premier League game this season, while Paqueta started seven of the Hammers last ten league matches. Kehrer, a summer transfer signing from PSG, played almost 1,500 minutes for the Irons before heading to the World Cup to play 70 minutes of Germany’s 1-1 draw with Spain.
An ankle injury kept Aguerd out for the first three months of the 2022/23 campaign before his West Ham debut at the end of October. The defender started all of Morocco’s Group F matches but a thigh tear in the last 16 clash with Spain ruled him out for the quarter-final win against Portugal.
After a hectic start to the season, with West Ham playing 24 matches in all competitions before the World Cup break, it is difficult to determine how much time off those who featured in Qatar will need, admits first-team assistant coach Mark Warburton. But, it is an issue that most Premier League clubs have to put up with in this unusual season.
When asked about West Ham's protocol regarding time off for players returning from the World Cup, Warburton said: “You just try to build it up, I use the word loadings, you try to get that right. You have the off-season and the boys might have 4-5-6 weeks off. Now they have had 12-14 days off. What is right for them to do?
“As I say, every club up and down the country is learning, we will have players coming back from the World Cup having been involved in certain games. Some who we don’t know if they are flying back Monday morning or in a week’s time, we just don’t know. Some boys have played away in competitive friendlies. So it is difficult, it really is difficult. The boys here, of course, the ones who have stayed behind, they have to make sure they keep their levels up.”
West Ham will play Fulham in a friendly on Saturday, December 17, to prepare for their return to competitive action. David Moyes’ side face a difficult first game back on Boxing Day with a trip to Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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