West Ham United manager David Moyes has offered an update on the injury status of Kurt Zouma ahead of facing Brentford. The Irons play host to their London rivals on Friday night.
The Bees visit the London Stadium for the Hammers’ first Premier League fixture at home since the World Cup. West Ham had returned to top-flight action at Arsenal on Boxing Day but fell to a 3-1 defeat. Brentford resumed their campaign by drawing 2-2 with Tottenham.
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Moyes was without Zouma for the Gunners affair after the centre-back underwent surgery on a knee injury last month. The 28-year-old suffered the issue against Leicester City in the Irons’ final game before Qatar 2022. It marked his 14th league appearance so far this term.
No centre-half has played more often for West Ham in the Premier League so far this term than Zouma. But Thilo Kehrer could now grab that honour on Friday should the Hammers’ £10m summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain get his 15th outing at home to Brentford.
That is because Moyes has hinted that Zouma is not yet fit enough to return from his injury as West Ham host Brentford. The Frenchman, whom Moyes has lauded as an ‘exceptional’ defender previously, is yet to train with the Scot’s team after he recently picked up a virus.
Moyes hints a virus has put Zouma back in the West Ham star’s return from injury
Had Zouma not picked up his virus, Moyes noted in his update that West Ham could have welcomed him back against Brentford. But the illness has set the Irons’ £30m signing from Chelsea in August 2021 back a bit and their trip to Leeds United may now be more likely.
“Kurt’s doing really,” Moyes told football.london. “The virus he had a week and a half ago has probably put him back whereas if he hadn’t have had the virus, he probably would have been in contention.
“Now, we’ve got to try and get him up because of his fitness levels. His knee feels really good and he feels much freer with it. He’s not trained with us yet.
“He’s been out on the grass, he’s doing bits and pieces but he’s not quite ready to start training with us, probably in the next few days with a bit of luck.”
West Ham will go to Leeds on January 4 and Moyes will hope for another update from the Irons’ medical team authorising Zouma to return from injury if he does not face Brentford.
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