Manuel Pellegrini has addressed his stance on Sebastien Haller after dropping West Ham United’s record signing to the bench against Chelsea at the weekend.
Michail Antonio made his first start since returning from a hamstring injury in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, replacing the out-of-form striker.
The £40million ace has scored four goals in 12 Premier League starts so far this season, but hasn’t scored since mid-October.
Pellegrini told the official club website he remains confident Haller will live up to expectations at West Ham but admits he needs time to adapt:
All the players that come from different leagues need time to adapt. I think that Sebastien started very well, scoring some goals, but after that, he was struggling. He understands that he will continue being an important player and I am absolutely sure that soon he will be the Sebastien he was at the start of the season.
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Haller looked dangerous at the start of the campaign but has fallen off massively and will need to greatly improve if he’s to live up to his price tag.
Antonio may have done enough against Chelsea to keep his place for the trip to Wolves, so Pellegrini may have to opt for a two-striker system if he’s to fit both players in.
It’d be a tough game to bring Haller back in for but it’s unlikely he’ll be happy to sit on the bench for long.
