West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui expressed concern over an injury sustained by Aaron Cresswell during the warm-up before their Carabao Cup match against Bournemouth. Despite winning the game, Lopetegui was disappointed with the team’s performance and revealed that Cresswell suffered a hamstring injury, which forced him to make a last-minute change to the starting lineup.

Lopetegui stated, “Today was a very demanding match, physically, and unfortunately, we had a problem in the warm-up with Cresswell’s hamstring. We had to make a change, but in the end, we overcame all of these difficulties as a team.”

The injury to Cresswell, who is the only cover for Emerson Palmieri, has raised concerns about the team’s depth in the left and right full-back positions. If Cresswell is out for an extended period, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will provide cover on the left, leaving Vladimir Coufal as the only right-back.

Lopetegui’s comments highlight the team’s vulnerability in the full-back positions, which could be a cause for concern for the remainder of the season. The Hammers have already signed eight players this summer, but it seems they may need to dip into the transfer market again to address their defensive concerns.

The win over Bournemouth was a welcome relief for West Ham, but the performance was underwhelming, and the injury to Cresswell has added to the team’s woes. Lopetegui will be hoping that his players can step up their game and perform better in their upcoming matches.

In other news, West Ham’s victory over Bournemouth means they will face Liverpool in the next round of the Carabao Cup. The match promises to be a thrilling encounter, and Lopetegui will be hoping that his team can rise to the occasion and cause an upset. However, with the injury to Cresswell and the team’s defensive concerns, it will be a tough task for the Hammers.