WEST HAM defender Kurt Zouma could reportedly miss the rest of the season after fresh concerns over the ankle injury sustained in their 2-0 loss to Brentford.
The Frenchman hobbled off after just half an hour during Sunday’s defeat at the hands of Brentford, piling yet more pressure on David Moyes and West Ham as they continue their quest for European football.
The 27-year-old is “set to remain in London for further tests and examinations” according to a club statement, with concerns over the suspected ankle injury enough to keep him out of the squad for Thursday’s Europa League trip to Lyon.
While the club could not provide an estimated date for his return, reports claim that the Hammers could be without their key central defender for the remainder of the season.
We can confirm that Kurt Zouma will miss Thursday’s #UEL quarter-final second leg against Lyon through injury.https://t.co/GfKwYvk774
— West Ham United (@WestHam) April 12, 2022
With upcoming fixtures including a crucial Europa League quarter-final firmly poised at 1-1, and a Premier League run-in that includes Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, David Moyes will have to turn to alternative options to safeguard the integrity of their bid to return to European football next season.
With Angelo Ogbonna still sidelined with a season-ending knee injury, Issa Diop seems to be the likely replacement. Zouma’s fellow compatriot hasn’t started a league fixture since the beginning of December, which seemed to be telling as he struggled to deal with Brentford’s attacking line on Sunday afternoon, in which he was at fault for their opening goal.
However, he has been a regular feature in the Hammer’s Europa League run and will almost certainly be alongside Craig Dawson on Thursday evening.
Elsewhere, one of Moyes’ mainstays Aaron Cresswell will also be absent against Lyon having picked up a red card in the first leg. While Lyon’s frontline has not been particularly potent this season, West Ham fans will be holding their breath with the prospect of a tricky away fixture and a far from favourable defensive line.
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