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West Ham have been hit by a crushing Jhon Duran blow but there may finally be some good news on the striker front.

Until the 4-1 win over Ipswich, West Ham have looked toothless up front this season.

There’s no lack of irony in that fact given the club’s big summer striker signing Niclas Fullkrug is indeed toothless.

Unashamedly so too with West Ham’s £23.5m signing embracing the nickname former Hammers star Marko Arnautovic gave him – Lucke – which means gap.

There has certainly been a gap up front for Julen Lopetegui this season.

Michail Antonio finally filled it against Ipswich – but his record of one goal in seven will not be good enough to help West Ham achieve their aims of qualifying for Europe.

READ MORE: Lopetegui’s biggest problem at West Ham is entirely Moyes’ fault

Fullkrug teases West Ham return after crushing Duran blow

Lopetegui had kept Fullkrug on the bench for the opening three Premier League games.

The 31-year-old then picked up an Achilles and calf injury with Germany in September and has been out ever since.

It means the Hammers are yet to properly see their big new striker hope.

Hammers News exclusively revealed that Fullkrug’s injury would keep him out until after the October international break.

And so it has proved.

Worryingly there was also no guarantee Fullkrug would be back for Spurs on October 19th.

But now striker Fullkrug has teased his big West Ham return after a crushing Jhon Duran blow.

READ MORE: West Ham should thank lucky stars they didn’t end up with Steidten pick

Duran dreams dead but Fullkrug says he’s ‘back soon’

The injury to Fullkrug would come as no great surprise to anyone who has followed or read about his career closely.

West Ham’s new target man has been dogged by injury issues throughout his career.

Things have improved in recent years and Fullkrug puts it down to training every single day and playing week in, week out to ‘keep the body strong’.

With that in mind, the fact he got injured after finding himself on the bench for the first month may be more than a coincidence.

It has also piled pressure on Hammers technical director Tim Steidten.

Many West Ham fans wanted to see the club go out and sign a more dynamic young striker with pace in the summer.

Aston Villa star Duran was the prime target for West Ham in the summer.

But the Hammers refused to go above £35m for the Colombian and he remained at Villa.

West Ham supporters hope it might be a situation the club could revisit in a future window. Especially if Duran continues to be frustrated playing back-up to Ollie Watkins.

His form has been so stunning there that some of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Barcelona – have been linked.

Yesterday Duran signed a new long-term deal with Villa, though, ending any hope West Ham ever have of signing the 20-year-old.

It once again leaves West Ham feeling deeply regretful. Just as the club did when David Moyes snubbed the chance to sign Julian Alvarez for £14.5m before he joined Man City.

Or Viktor Gyokeres for £17.5m from Coventry before he went to Sporting.

However, there is some good news to take the edge of the Duran blow.

Because Fullkrug has taken to social media to tease his return to action for West Ham ‘soon’.

In the wake of the Ipswich win, Fullkrug took to Instagram showing he was at the game supporting his teammates behind the scenes.

And he said: “Big win at home! Can’t wait to be back! Soon.”

Hopefully this means Fullkrug will be available for Spurs after the two-week break.

If he does return in north London he can make himself an instant hero if he helps the Hammers get one over their bitter rivals.

Fullkrug will also be coming back into a team which has much more understanding among the group.

That has been increasingly evident on the pitch, culminating in the convincing victory over the Tractor Boys.

That can only be good for someone like Fullkrug who relies on service.

If West Ham keep up that kind of form, he’ll certainly get it too. The Hammers had 23 shots – 13 of them on target – against Ipswich.

That was among the most in the entire Premier League at the weekend.

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