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West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini is back in action.
After suffering a heartbreaking knee injury that ruined his World Cup dream, the Argentina international made his comeback in the 3-1 win over Fulham at the end of February.
On the chalkboard
Since his return, which was greeted with a rapturous reception at the London Stadium, Lanzini has played in every possible game for the Hammers.
After 14 minutes against Fulham, the playmaker played 45 against Manchester City and the full 90 versus Newcastle United.
The Hammers, it is perhaps no coincidence to note, won two of those games.
And yet manager Manuel Pellegrini would do well to tread softly.
Lanzini is clearly not yet up to full speed and playing him consistently only runs the risk of wearing down a player who has spent nearly a year on the sidelines.
Against Newcastle, per WhoScored, he had two shots on goal and one dribble. He was fouled once, dispossessed once and failed to complete a key pass. He also had four unsuccessful touches.
Add into that the fact that he made one interception and two fouls – plus zero tackles – and it is clear to see this is a player who has yet to hit his stride.
The most eye-catching statistic against the Magpies was his pass completion rate, which stood at 96.9%, but this is perhaps evidence that he is not attempting to do what he so regularly did last season and pick the lock of the opposition defence, instead opting to recycle the ball and hoping someone else will do it for him.
Bench him
West Ham face Cardiff City this weekend in a game that Pellegrini’s men will be expected to win.
Yes, Neil Warnock’s side are battling bravely against relegation, but they have been in truly woeful form and have not won any of their last three games. Instead, they have lost to Watford, Everton and Wolves by an aggregate score of 10-1.
There is no better time to allow Lanzini to rest, recuperate and restore his focus, particularly with an international break on the horizon.
The likes of Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio can handle the pressure of supplying the chances against Cardiff but if it doesn’t go to plan, Lanzini will be there on the bench.
It is a low-risk strategy from the former Manchester City manager and it should ultimately help the diminutive star get back to his best once the Premier League reconvenes at the end of the month.
