Expert: David Moyes faces ‘big’ Kurt Zouma problem at West Ham after update
David Moyes faces a “big problem” at West Ham with Kurt Zouma set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering soft tissue damage.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
Zouma missed his sixth Premier League fixture of the season against Newcastle United on Saturday while suffering from a hamstring injury.
The French centre-back has been a key player for Moyes when fit this season, but this isn’t the first time the Hammers boss has had to work around Zouma’s injury problems.
The 28-year-old underwent surgery over the World Cup break after worsening his knee injury against Leicester City in November, and Zouma made his return for the Irons in a 2-0 win over Everton in January.
But another spell on the sidelines looks set to follow, which Dinnery believes is a “major worry” for West Ham and Moyes.
“Regardless of all the work on training pitches and passing baseline assessments, the demands and intensity of playing in the Premier League is the biggest test for an injury,” Dinnery told Football Insider.
“It’s not uncommon for players returning from lengthy injuries to pick up soft tissue problems along the way, and that’s what Zouma has suffered here.
“He only returned to the first team squad in January, so it was a fairly short period back within the team.
“Another spell on the sidelines spells a big problem for David Moyes.
“He is constantly trying to keep Zouma in first-team contention, but it’s causing inconsistency in his defence.
“Given the pressure West Ham and Moyes are now facing, it’s a major worry for the club that Zouma could spend another few weeks on the sidelines.“
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