Nuno Espirito Santo delivered a rather politically correct answer on West Ham recalling free-scoring striker Niclas Fullkrug from his loan at Werder Bremen – but it simply doesn’t add up as the German nets his 12th goal of the season.

Amid the doom and gloom of back-to-back home defeats to promotion rivals Southampton and West Brom and calls for Nuno Espirito Santo to be sacked, West Ham fans could be forgiven for missing that Niclas Fullkrug scored yet again on Saturday.

The German has been making life awkward for Nuno with his free-scoring form on loan at Werder Bremen, where he had amassed 11 goals before the clash with Hoffenheim.

Nuno responds on Fullkrug recall as German nets 12th goal

Hammers News exclusively revealed Nuno did not want Fullkrug at West Ham under any circumstances this season, as the club shipped him out on a season-long loan.

Fullkrug scored yet again, making it 12 for the season, as Werder beat Hoffenheim 2-0 – piling more pressure on Nuno’s decision to loan out a player who could have helped fire the Hammers back to the Premier League.

But the Hammers boss Nuno’s answer on West Ham recalling Fullkrug doesn’t add up.

Nuno delivered a typically PC answer when he was asked about Fullkrug’s goal-scoring and essentially whether he regretted letting him leave.

“There are many circumstances involved in the situations of players not adapting to a club,” Nuno told the press.

“I’m glad that Niclas is happy and scoring, this is what we want for all the players that are connected to West Ham, so I’m happy for him.”

Nuno must know West Ham cannot recall Fullkrug

Nuno was then asked whether West Ham can recall him in January and the manager’s PC answer simply doesn’t add up as he suggested he would consider anyone who can help the team if there is the option.

“I don’t know if we have an option or not, I’m not sure. All the West Ham players are followed by us, and if we consider that he can help us, it’s good, but I’m not sure if it is possible.”

That situation is made even more farcical given Werder did not have to pay any loan fee to take Fullkrug and are merely covering his wages for the season.

So Hammers fans should not get their hopes up that Fullkrug is going to come riding back into east London on a white horse in January.

In defence of Nuno and the club, few tears were shed when West Ham let Fullkrug go in the summer given his struggles since arriving for £27m.

Frankly, nobody – perhaps even Fullkrug himself – could have foreseen this kind of ridiculous scoring form.

But it is nevertheless making a mockery of Nuno’s decision to cast a player aside who could clearly have helped West Ham get back to the Premier League and, in doing so, more than repay the money the club has spent on him.