West Ham news: Pundit issues ‘horrible’ claim amid Nicola Vlasic verdict
Gabby Agbonlahor has insisted Nicola Vlasic will put Ashley Westwood’s injury aside and maintain his focus on West Ham.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Westwood’s former Aston Villa teammate claimed it affected Vlasic during the game but he will now be able to move on.
The 24-year-old was visibly upset when an innocuous challenge between the pair resulted in Westwood’s horror injury.
As reported by Lancs Live today (20 April), the Burnley midfielder, 32, will see a surgeon to determine the full extent of an injury.
It is not clear whether he has broken or dislocated his ankle but he will almost certainly miss the rest of the season at least.
Vlasic’s performance in the 1-1 draw on Sunday (17 April) was clearly impacted by the injury and he was replaced 20 minutes into the second half despite not featuring in the 3-0 win over Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final last Thursday (14 April).
Asked whether Vlasic will continue to be affected by Westwood’s injury, Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “It will knock you in the game.
“Once that game is done though you will know that you’ve got to put in performances for your team.
“It was a horrible injury. I know Ashley from his time at Villa and we all just wish him well.”
Vlasic has failed to make a major impact for West Ham since his move from CSKA Moscow last summer (19 April).
He has played 35 times across all competitions but only six of those have been Premier League starts.
In other news, Kieran Maguire has saluted an ‘amazing deal’ as West Ham are set to bag a £2million-a-year boost.