David Moyes must trust West Ham defender Issa Diop to deliver after Zouma blow
West Ham have suffered a massive blow today (Tuesday) after the club confirmed that Kurt Zouma will take no part in the Europa League quarter-final second leg tie against Olympique Lyonnais.
The France international defender picked up an ankle injury in the 2-0 defeat against Brentford on Sunday, and he will remain in London for further tests and examination.
He has been a colossal figure at the back this season after coming from an injury, and missing him in such a big game is definitely a hammer blow.
It leaves Moyes very little option to choose from, and he is likely to bring Issa Diop into the starting line-up once again.
Only a few months back, the Hammers were in a situation where they had lost both Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna through injury. Both Dawson and Diop played regularly in that period.
While Ogbonna has returned to light training, he is still a few months away from returning to full training.
Moyes must trust Diop to deliver. The Frenchman has made only 24 appearances in all competitions this season, but he has got another opportunity to impress his boss.
The 25-year-old hasn’t had a great season thus far, and was branded as “shocking” by Standard journalist Jack Rosser for his performance in the FA Cup against Kidderminster.
This is a big opportunity for him and he must make the best use of it.
The Hammers managed a 1-1 draw in the first leg. With the away goal rule scrapped, it’s anybody’s game in France. The Hammers must stay focussed at the back, and look for every scoring opportunity.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers could receive a big boost following the latest Lyon injury news.
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