West Ham defender Ben Johnson picks up thigh injury
West Ham defender Ben Johnson was absent against Arsenal as the Hammers lost 2-1 at the London Stadium on Sunday.
David Moyes has confirmed after the game, as relayed by The Athletic journalist, Roshane Thomas, that Johnson has picked up a thigh strain.
Vladimir Coufal started the London derby against the Gunners today (01 May) and he was brilliant going forward.
Roshane Thomas wrote on Twitter: “Moyes says Ben Johnson has a thigh strain.”
Blow
Missing Johnson will be a big blow for the club ahead of the second leg on Thursday.
The Hammers are trailing 2-1 from the first leg, and they need a big win in Germany to progress to the finals of the Europa League.
Losing an important defender would be a big blow, but the Hammers boss will have options to fill his void.
Craig Dawson will be back for the next match, and he will partner alongside Kurt Zouma, which will allow Aaron Cresswell to play naturally on the left-back.
Coufal is likely to start in the right-back role. It remains to be seen how the Hammers approach the game.
They need to score to level the tie, but with the away goal rule now scrapped, the Hammers can afford to take a bit cautious approach as well.
The Hammers may not need to leave themselves exposed at the back, but even if Johnson is fit for the next game, Coufal looks a better option.
In other West Ham news, Ray Parlour has given his verdict on the future of this current ace.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.