Many West Ham supporters will be very keen to see Pablo Fornals turning out for their club in the Premier League.
However, with the Spaniard having made it through to the knockout stages at the Under 21 Euros, it could be worth West Ham refraining from starting him against Manchester City.
Spain’s progression means the 23-year-old is likely to be one of the last back to pre-season training for the Hammers – alongside the likes of Arthur Masuaku and Fabian Balbuena, who are currently at the African Cup of Nations and Copa América respectively.
If Fornals’ Spain beat France in the semi final, they will play the final on 30th June, which could mean an extra delay in Fornals arriving for pre-season.
It needs to be ensured the former Villarreal man is primed physically and tactically if he is to be deployed – especially from the beginning – against Manchester City.
Though ExWHUEmployee said that Manuel Pellegrini wants to play both Fornals and Manuel Lanzini in the starting line up, it would surely be foolish to take this approach against an extremely talented Manchester City side – who have the skill to pick off any defensive frailties in their opposition.
Therefore, it could be better to start Lanzini and introduce Fornals later on in the game from the bench, or not play him at all, rather than throwing him in from the beginning when there is a chance he won’t be fully prepared.
This option would allow him to focus on the following games – against Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford, Norwich City and Aston Villa – where he would be more likely to impact the result.
A player’s debut can sometimes set the precedent for how they do at a club; while this won’t necessarily be the case for Fornals, it is worth ensuring the Spaniard gets off to the best start possible.
