Nottingham Forest face West Ham on Saturday and it’s fair to presume that Jesse Lingard is in good shape ahead of the game. The Reds player has been spotted in training and it would seem he’s edging back to full fitness.
It’s bound to be a hostile atmosphere for Lingard to contend with in East London on Saturday. If the 30-year-old does return from injury he will come up against his former club and the one he nearly signed for in the summer.
His decision to reject the Hammers and sign for Forest caused quite a stir. Many of the East London faithful believe that Lingard saw the pound signs rather than prioritising football during his thought process.
Lingard has found things a little bit difficult at Forest. Sadly, he wasn’t around for much of the pre-season campaign. As a result, that saw him struggle with his fitness in the early stages.
Around the World Cup, Lingard was just starting to get into his stride. He scored during a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and was also impressive as Forest defeated Crystal Palace 1-0.
Disaster struck for Lingard in Forest’s first game back after the World Cup. He pulled his hamstring during a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United and was subsequently ruled out.
Lingard has failed to make an appearance since then. He was on the bench as Forest drew 1-1 with Bournemouth but remained among the unused options as the Reds claimed a point.
Lingard in good shape ahead of West Ham – he can’t stop scoring in training
Yesterday, the Forest performer was being put through his paces in training. With Andy Reid acting as a defender, the Reds striker was going through a drill that involved taking one touch and then making a shot.
Lingard was inspired during the drill. He was rasping the ball into the net from all angles, with two or three curling stunningly into the corner of the net beyond a hapless goalkeeper.
Naturally, Lingard will want to start producing the goods on the pitch. Given how much stick he’s taken from West Ham supporters; he would dearly love an opportunity to play on Saturday.