West Ham United defender Nayef Aguerd could make an early return from injury after undergoing surgery on his ankle during pre-season, according to club insiders The West Ham Way.
The Lowdown: Aguerd’s injury
In June, it was announced the Hammers had completed the £30m signing of the Morocco international from French outfit Rennes. However, during his second appearance in an Irons shirt, the centre-back was forced off with injury in a pre-season match against Rangers after just 23 minutes of play.
West Ham subsequently announced that the 26-year-old had undergone successful surgery on his ankle, with the player sidelined for the beginning of the Premier League campaign.
The Latest: Aguerd injury update
The West Ham Way has now shared a fresh update on Aguerd’s injury, revealing a positive turn of events regarding his return date.
According to the club insiders’ report, the Hammers initially believed that the Moroccan would make his return after the World Cup this winter. However, in a major twist, there is now confidence that he could be back in action a lot sooner.
They reported that, whilst a specific return date is yet to be set by the club, there is a growing belief that Aguerd could feature for West Ham before the World Cup kicks off in November.
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The Verdict: Huge boost
When looking at Aguerd’s underlying statistics, it is clear to see that his return to fitness will come as a massive boost for West Ham.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 26-year-old ranks in the 96th percentile for assists, the 92nd percentile for shots total and the 86th percentile for passes attempted.
As a result, the Irons defender has earned stylistic comparisons to the likes of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt, illustrating why he has been hailed as an ‘excellent’ defender by analyst Dan Woffenden.
Therefore, his return will most certainly be welcomed by David Moyes, especially after the team’s dreadful start to the season and their hectic autumn schedule.