Peter Lynch

Sun 30 April 2023 12:10, UK

West Ham ace Kurt Zouma could be out for the rest of the season following his ankle injury sustained against Crystal Palace on Saturday (29 April), according to ExWHUemployee.

The defender was forced off just 19 minutes into the clash with the Eagles, with Angelo Ogbonna his replacement in a match which the Hammers lost 4-3.

Zouma was then seen leaving Selhurst Park with a protective boot in a major worry for David Moyes.

“Kurt Zouma left Selhurst Park with his left foot in a protective boot having been withdrawn from the game with an injury,” ExWHUemployee wrote on The West Ham Way.

“The injury is said to be his left ankle where there is severe swelling and bruising. He will be sent for scans today to determine the severity of the injury but there are growing fears that this could be a season ender.

“At the moment nobody knows the situation until the scans are completed so we hope it will be in fact positive news but of course we will update you as soon as we hear.”

Tricky run-in

West Ham had been going very strong earlier this month, with wins over Fulham and Bournemouth, and a very impressive draw with Arsenal, helping ease the pressure on the club and on manager Moyes.

Given that strong run of form and the fact there are plenty of struggling sides below them in the table, the East London outfit should be safe from relegation to the Championship.

But worry may be starting to sneak back into some supporters, with the Hammers losing their strong run with back-to-back losses against Liverpool and Palace. Moreover, the Hammers have two very tricky fixtures against Manchester City and Manchester United up next.

They must also balance their Premier League duties and their Europa Conference League duties, with West Ham meeting Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the latter.

The task will, of course, be made much more difficult with the potential loss of star defender Zouma, who had been going strong at the back in recent times.