LONDON: West Ham manager David Moyes said Tuesday he would not rush Andriy Yarmolenko back into action after the club gave the Ukraine international time off following the invasion of his country by Russia.
The 32-year-old winger was not part of the Hammers’ squad for Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win over Wolves.
Moyes, whose side return to action on Wednesday with an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Southampton, said Yarmolenko had done some light training on Monday.
“We won’t rush him,” said the Hammers boss. “I’ve asked him to come in today and see how he feels. If he feels fine and up to it then he’ll travel with the team. If he doesn’t, then we’ll give him some more days off.
“Things can change very quickly but we’ll give him the chance to go with his own feelings.
“He’s really upset — he’s got lots of family members in Ukraine and friends and he’s worried for everybody and realizes the difficulty that’s going on, and he’s a long way away and can’t do an awful lot about it.”
There was a strong show of support for Yarmolenko and Ukraine before West Ham’s match on Sunday — the players warmed up in T-shirts displaying his name and Declan Rice led the side out carrying Yarmolenko’s number seven shirt.
“We speak to him (Yarmolenko) most days,” said Moyes. “I have to say the players at the club were great with him (on Monday), they tried to get him back in, integrate him and make sure he felt really welcome and that we were thinking about him and his family.
“But there’s very little we can do — we just have to try to support him as best we can.”
Moyes, whose side face Sevilla in the Europa League’s last 16 next week, said he agreed with the suspension of Russian teams from FIFA and UEFA competitions.
“Football is such a powerful tool all around the world,” he said. “I think it’s really important we take action and make sure they (Russia) are isolated completely. I’m not a politician, but that’s how I feel about the football side.”
Ukraine’s Yarmolenko will ‘not be rushed back’, say West Ham
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Ukraine’s Yarmolenko will ‘not be rushed back’, say West Ham
- The 32-year-old winger was not part of the Hammers' squad for Sunday's 1-0 Premier League win over Wolves
- "We won't rush him," said the Hammers boss
FIFA and Board of Peace to support Gaza reconstruction through football
- The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms
FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to attract investment from global leaders and institutions for sustainable development in conflict-affected regions through football.
The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.
The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn population are expected to pose significant challenges to the board’s effectiveness in the coming months.
The FIFA collaboration plan includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium, FIFA said.
Trump said FIFA will raise $75 million for football-related projects in Gaza.
“Today, FIFA and the Board of Peace have signed a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“Together with the support of the Board of Peace, FIFA will drive this partnership which is built to deliver impact at every stage.”
The program will also emphasize job creation, youth participation, organized leagues for boys and girls, community engagement and the stimulation of local commercial activities, FIFA said.
