For the players not involved in representing their country, the international break is both a blessing and a curse: Recovery and recuperation time ahead of the ‘run-in’ – the final quarter of the Premier League season – can help those struggling with knocks or minor injuries to get back to fitness.
However the lack of game time means endless training sessions with coaches spread out over over more than two weeks, which lack the intensity of competitive matches.
West Ham’s squad has, we hear, been involved today in a training match between the Hammers and Brentford, arranged behind closed doors away from the cameras to help both sides maintain their match sharpness ahead of next weekend’s resumption of the Premier League.
A training ground source ( later confirmed by Exwhuemployee) suggests that the game was a welcome test for the recovering Niclas Fullkrug -who has been slowly edging his way back towards match fitness – to test himself ahead of the trip to Molyneux on 1st April to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Fullkrug has had several months out of action and so will be monitored carefully after the game in case of any reaction from either the historic calf or more recent hamstring injuries which he sustained in January, and we understand played the second 45 minutes this afternoon without incident or accident. Final score Brentford ran out winners 1-0.
More importantly Niclas Fullkrug got through 45 minutes seemingly without problems as he walked off unaided at the end!
The verdict? “Nearly there, hopefully” according to officials inside the club.
