Exclusive: West Ham unhappy with West Brom over Diangana treatment

Exclusive: West Ham unhappy with West Brom over Diangana treatment

Wayne Veysey

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on

West Ham are unhappy with West Brom at their management of Grady Diangana's hamstring injury, Football Insider has learned.

The Premier League outfit had been delighted with the winger's progress in the opening half of his season-long loan and opted not to trigger a recall clause in January despite their own troubles.

A West Ham source has told Football Insider that West Brom and their manager Slaven Bilic have subsequently infuriated them by rushing Diangana back from injury prematurely in mid-January.

Discussions have been held between the two clubs about why the 21-year-old featured for only 24 minutes of senior action before breaking down with his second hamstring injury in just over a month.

Diangana was re-introduced as a sub in the Baggies' 2-2 draw against Charlton Athletic on 11 January after missing five matches and a month of football.

He then made Bilic's starting XI for the televised Championship clash against Stoke City on 20 January only to limp off after four minutes.

The dazzling young attacker has subsequently missed 11 league and cup games while undergoing an extensive period of rehabilitation.

He is now on the comeback trail and West Brom have made it clear to his parent club that Diangana will only return when he is fully fit and able to cope with the intense demands of the Championship.

Nevertheless, there is frustration at West Ham, who had hoped the England Under-21 international would return as a battle-hardened senior play with a full season of league football under his belt.

Bilic claimed at the end of last month that he is still optimistic that Diangana will have a major role to play in the club's Championship run-in.

The winger is back in training but the manager's last update was that he was working separately from the main group.

www.footballinsider247.com