France international Dimitri Payet is set to make his season start when the Hammers host Watford this weekend in the English Premier League.
The Euro 2016 star has missed the first three games for his club – West Ham United – with the manager Slaven Bilic admitting that his side has missed him. Payet came on as a substitute when West Ham played Chelsea in the opening game, but it was clear he wasn’t back to full fitness.
Payet was in action for his country again, appearing twice as a sub during the international break. An injury-hit West Ham have started slowly in the new term after their brilliant run last season. They would really need the best from Payet as he return to action. The former Marseille forward was critical in their last run, and would have to shake off the thigh strain limitation to impress this term as well.
“Of course we’ve been missing him, like any club is missing their key players. France missed him. I watched the game and France was better when he came on with his quality, with his delivery from set pieces and his quality in open play.
“He hasn’t played for us since the first game of the season when he came on against Chelsea but then he played 45 minutes of a friendly for France against Italy and he came on for 35 minutes-or-so against Belarus,” Bilic said. Bilic made news headlines when he said the transfer fee spent on Pogba was crazy, but that if the management had the means, he would spend such as well to get Pogba.
Bilic revealed that Payet was going to play after speaking to the player. Summer marquee signing Andre Ayew is still out injured; Diafra Sakho, and Aaron Cresswell are out too. Sofiane Feghouli is set to make a return to the squad after recovering from his thigh injury.