Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has recovered from a knock and will be ready for selection this Saturday.
Speaking to the press ahead of West Ham’s fixture with Norwich City this weekend via Football London, the Chilean boss confirmed that the 31-year-old attacker is back in the squad after picking up a knee injury mid-week that forced Hernandez to miss West Ham’s League Cup game against Newport County.
Pellegrini said: “Javier Hernandez has recovered from his small knee injury last week and Winston Reid continues to be injured for a couple of weeks more. All the rest of the players are fit.”
Hernandez’s return comes at a timely moment for the east London side as fellow attacker Michail Antonio was taken off injured in the aforementioned game against Newport as the versatile forward limped off the pitch early on with a hamstring problem that The Sun report could keep the former Nottingham Forest star out for up to six weeks.
Whether the Mexican international striker will start against the Canaries is a different matter, though, as Pellegrini could be tempted to keep Sebastien Haller in the starting XI following his two-goal performance against Watford last weekend that saw the Hammers claim their first win of the season.
Hernandez, who is valued on Transfermarkt at £10.8m, has proven to be of use this campaign already, though, as the former Bayer Leverkusen forward netted in West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Brighton to claim Pellegrini’s side their first point of the 2019/20 season.
West Ham face a Norwich side that have surprised many a fan in the Premier League this season as Daniel Farke’s side impressed against the likes of Newcastle United and Chelsea, with star striker Teemu Pukki currently sitting joint-top of the goalscoring charts alongside Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling with five goals.
