West Ham receive unfortunate injury setback ahead of crucial Europa League tie
An injury blow to Kurt Zouma means West Ham will likely not be at full strength in the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon.
West Ham are preparing for one of the most important games in their recent history. This season is the first time the Hammers have reached the business end of the Europa League.
Indeed, they have made it a long way too, to the quarter-finals. They drew the first round of the quarters against Lyon 1-1, so everything rests on the second leg.
The Hammers have been dealt a blow ahead of the crucial tie, though. The Evening Standard reports that Zouma’s chances of playing the game are ‘difficult’ due to an injury he sustained against Brentford.
That is unfortunate for them, for a number of reasons. Zouma spent a period on the sidelines earlier this season, thanks to a hamstring injury.
Of the games that West Ham were without Zouma for, they lost four. Clearly, the centre-back is an important member of the defence.
Even more so given his centre-back partner at the start of the year, Angelo Ogbonna, has been out since November.
In fact, with both Ogbonna and Zouma missing, there are only two senior centre-backs available.
Craig Dawson has been the preferred partner for Zouma for the recent portion of the season. Issa Diop will likely be elevated to the starting squad in Zouma’s absence.
The Hammers will hope that neither of that pair sustain an injury, or they will be forced into an unorthodox change.
Zouma absence a big blow
Zouma likely being out for the second leg of the quarter-final is a massive blow for David Moyes.
The manager has utilised the Frenchman in each of the previous three European knockout ties for West Ham. Zouma played every single minute in each of the games before this one.
While the partnership of Diop and Dawson is not a bad one, naturally, Moyes would have preferred to start his strongest defence.
West Ham will hope that the defence can cope without Zouma. In the event of a loss, it will likely sting more, in the knowledge that there was a crucial player on the sidelines who was unable to be utilised.
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