David Moyes shares if Kurt Zouma will be available for West Ham United v Tottenham after ‘terrible’ development
David Moyes has confirmed Kurt Zouma will be available for West Ham United against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday following his “terrible situation” away from the club.
Zouma’s home on the eve of Sunday’s Premier League fixture with Crystal Palace was raided by burglars which meant the Frenchman missed the game to be with his family [The Guardian, 4 December].
And Moyes speaking in his press conference on Wednesday (6 December) confirmed that the former Chelsea defender is back and available for selection as the club continues to support him after what happened at the weekend.
Hammers striker Michail Antonio remains out of action with a knee injury.
Moyes said:
“There’s no [Michail] Antonio. He’s not back yet. But Kurt Zouma, he’s back and available for selection. He’s been training and we’re happy to have him back.
“Kurt has been fine. He’s been back in and it’s been a terrible situation for him. The Club are supporting him really well, as our captain, and we’re fully behind him.
“I don’t think anybody would ever like that to happen to themselves. Hopefully they can catch the people behind it. The Club have put a reward up and I hope that helps to get the people responsible arrested.”
Boost
Thankfully no one was hurt when Zouma’s home was raided at the weekend as things could well have turned out differently for the Frenchman.
But, the defender’s return against Tottenham could not be more timely as West Ham United enter a tough spell of games in the coming weeks.
After Sunday’s draw against Crystal Palace, it may already have been clear to Moyes that summer signing Konstantinos Mavropoanos may not be ready for consistent Premier League minutes after his mistake which handed the Eagles the equaliser.
Zouma has been an incredible defensive component for Moyes over the past couple of years and ahead of a busy and testing fixture list, the Frenchman’s quality and experience are desperately required, especially against a dangerous Tottenham side on Thursday (7 December).
If the East Londoners are to claim an unlikely away win against their London neighbours on Thursday then they need to step things up in their performances as Tottenham have been pretty impressive despite no wins in their last four games.
In other West Ham news, a first-team player may have a big decision to make with regards to his future in the coming weeks.