West Ham United assistant manager, Billy McKinlay, believes the Premier League is tough to slot Mohammed Kudus straight into their starting lineup.

The Scottish manager adds the Ghana attacking midfielder would not be able to 'come in and set the league alight' because of its difficulty.

McKinlay was speaking after Kudus started his second game for the Hammers in a 1-0 Caraboa Cup win over Lincoln on Wednesday, September 27.

"Mohammed Kudus has settled in at the Club really well and we can see there is a talented footballer there who cares about his football and wants to come in and contribute," McKinlay said.

"I think we maybe just have to be mindful of the fact it is a really tough league, the Premier League, and it’s really difficult to come in and set it alight.

"We have to be patient with him, but we certainly think he’s going to be a good player for us."

Mohammed Kudus has made six appearances for West Ham so far, four substitute appearances in the Premier League and starts in the Europa League and the Carabao Cup.