West Ham's Arthur Masuaku insists he does not see fellow left-back Aaron Cresswell as a direct rival

Coming back into contention: Arthur Masuaku
West Ham United via Getty Images
Sam Long16 February 2017

Arthur Masuaku says he does not regard fellow West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell as a direct rival.

Masuaku joined the Hammers from Olympiakos in the summer and started the opening five games of the Premier League season for Slaven Bilic's side.

But the 23-year-old has struggled with a knee ligament injury in recent months and has had to watch Cresswell return from his own fitness issues and reclaim a regular starting berth.

The England international could face a battle to keep his place with Masuaku edging towards full fitness but the Frenchman is adamant he does not want to put too much emphasis on an individual duel with Cresswell for game time.

“For me it is not about competition. Aaron is a very good player and we are just here to play our football and help the team," Masuaku told West Ham's official website.

“I want us to play the best that we can play and I don't see Aaron as a rival. He is my team-mate and we are all here to help each other.

“I hope that I can show my best form to the fans now. This is my target,” he added.

Meanwhile, West Ham are set to make the most of their early exit from the FA Cup courtesy of a warm weather training camp in Dubai this week.

Bilic's side are not in action again until they travel to Watford on February 25, with solidifying a place in the top 10 set to be the aim for the remainder of the campaign.

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