West Ham United have potentially been handed a boost over the fitness of one of their players following a concerning injury scare…

What’s the latest?

Summer signing Gianluca Scamacca was withdrawn from action during last week's friendly against Fulham, and manager David Moyes was said to be 'sweating' over the Italian's fitness according to the Daily Mail, with a clash against Premier League leaders Arsenal looming on Boxing Day.

However, Hammers first team coach Billy McKinlay has seemingly allayed fears that the striker would be absent for the vital period of football set to ensue following the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar, stating that the striker's knock might not be "too bad". 

Speaking to West Ham TV, the 53-year-old said of Scamacca: “He rolled his ankle a little bit [so we took him off] and we’ll see how it looks over the next couple of days, but hopefully it won’t be too bad and we can get him back in as quick as we can.”

Moyes will be relieved

The current Premier League campaign has been one of major disappointment so far for the Irons, who languish in 16th place after 14 matches, just one point above the drop zone.

Having clinched a place in European competition for the previous two seasons, the decline in results and performances will deeply concern the London Stadium hierarchy, with Moyes’ future at the helm reportedly in doubt in recent weeks.

There will be cautious optimism that Scamacca can take to the pitch against Arsenal, especially considering that Michael Antonio is also a doubt for that fixture.

The Italian has perhaps performed below expectations so far in claret and blue, although there can still be plenty of optimism surrounding his fortunes at West Ham. 

As per Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old has scored six goals from 21 appearances across all competitions for the Hammers since signing from Sassuolo for £35.5m, including two in the Premier League.

Despite the collective efforts of the club falling way below their recent high standards, the goals may yet flow from the Italian, with his exploits in his homeland hinting at a career which could be laden in success.

Indeed, Scamacca netted 16 times from 36 outings in Serie A last season , demonstrating his devastating innate goal-scoring sense with real conviction.

West Ham need to swiftly shift the momentum at the club, with a promising couple of years in danger of becoming nothing more than a fond memory. Tapping into Scamacca’s talents could be crucial in this fight to turn things around, navigating away from peril and back towards the top half of the table.

Whether the £26.2m-rated gem regains fitness before the forthcoming clash against Arsenal remains to be seen, but the Irons can at least take solace in the knowledge that he could swiftly return to action ahead of the busy winter period, having been taken off as a precaution against Fulham.

That will no doubt come as quite a relief to Moyes, who needs fortune to fall in his favour as much as possible considering his team's precarious position.