Pundit shares major Kurt Zouma injury prediction for West Ham United v Arsenal clash on Boxing Day
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie expects Kurt Zouma to be fit and available for West Ham when they face Arsenal in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
The France international underwent knee surgery during the World Cup break and it’s been reported that he will be unavailable for the “foreseeable future“, although no official timescale has been put on his return.
But former Scotland striker McAvennie believes that is a good thing and expects that he will have been undergoing rehabilitation throughout the World Cup break, meaning he should be raring to go for the Hammers once the season restarts later this month.
“Nobody knows how bad it is yet,” he told West Ham Zone.
“That’s what the problem is. You get a bang on your knee, but we’ve still got a couple of weeks before the season restarts. So he might only miss one game or two games.
“If it’s going to take longer than a couple of weeks then it’s a problem.
“I would imagine that he’ll be in getting treatment every single day to get him back fit. He won’t have a break. Everyone else will be off having a break, he won’t be having a break.
“He’ll be in every day because he’s injured getting treatment, which is quite right.
“I don’t think he’ll be that far away, so he might be ready when we come back.
“But David won’t be playing him if he’s not ready, that’s for sure.
“I think he’ll be ready for the restart.”
The Hammers have had big problems in central defence this season with all of Zouma, Craig Dawson, Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna suffering injuries at different points, which has seen Ben Johnson and Thilo Kehrer fill in on occasion.