West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui is feeling the pressure ahead of the visit of Everton to the London Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday
Julen Lopetegui’s problems are piling up ahead of West Ham United’s crunch meeting with fellow strugglers Everton. The Hammers boss is under pressure after last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest left his side floundering in 14th place, just six points above the Premier League relegation zone.
It is understood there is no appetite among the West Ham hierarchy to make a managerial change whatever the outcome against Everton.
But a poor performance and result could still see the mood turn ugly inside the London Stadium.
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Lopetegui suffered another blow this week when the Football Association extended winger Mohammed Kudus’ suspension by another two matches following his red card meltdown at Tottenham Hotspur last month.
Midfielder Edson Alvarez also starts a two-match ban for his second sending-off of the season at Forest, while there was also a troubling update on summer signing Niclas Fullkrug.
The Germany striker has been out since August with what initially seemed a minor calf problem but which has turned into something more sinister.
“Fullkrug is out. He’s not ready. He is not working with us and I think he is going to be out for a long time, unfortunately,” said Lopetegui.
“He started with a little injury but step by step it has got more complicated and it’s true, with new treatment he will be out, I don’t know, the next two or three weeks?
“I don’t know exactly. It depends how he answers to the treatment, so we’ll see.”
As well as missing Saturday’s game, former Everton transfer target Kudus will now sit out fixtures against Newcastle United and Arsenal and will not be available until West Ham travel to Leicester on December 3.
“It was not good news, for sure, because we were thinking it would be three matches,” added Lopetegui. “But we have to accept it, we don’t have anything else to do.”
Just three wins from 10 games including an extremely fortunate victory at home to Manchester United a fortnight ago have raised serious questions about the Hammers’ decision to replace former Everton boss David Moyes with Lopetegui.
But he insisted: “I know we are going to improve for sure. The end of the season is so far away.
“We are going to be able to overcome this, to do much better, I am sure that is going to arrive. We have the commitment of the players, despite the players we cannot use, the other players have the opportunity to move one step ahead.
“Sometimes it’s a good moment to have a good answer as a group, as a pack, and this is what we have to do as a team.”
