West Ham’s Lopetegui Discusses Injury Concerns, Fullkrug’s Role, and New Southampton Coach

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui addressed the media in advance of Thursday’s Premier League fixture against Southampton, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the key points from his press conference: Regarding player availability, Lopetegui stated: “We have a little problem with two players. Let’s see over the next days if they are ready for Southampton.” Addressing solutions for Michail Antonio’s absence, the manager commented: “We’ve lost an important player for a long time. We have [Niclas] Fullkrug and Danny Ings is doing well. We can [also] use Jarrod Bowen. We have to take advantage of the best solution in each situation.” When questioned about whether Niclas Fullkrug requires more starting opportunities to enhance his performance, Lopetegui responded: “There isn’t one rule in football. Sometimes he can start in the line-up, and sometimes on the bench. The most important thing is that the whole squad are ready to be main actors.” Pertaining to Thursday’s opponents, Southampton, he remarked: “They are a good team despite being on the bottom. They have quality players and now they have a new coach, so there will be an extra energy.” On Ivan Juric, Lopetegui further stated: “I know him because he has worked a lot in Italy with success. He is an experimental coach and I think he will do good things.”