West Ham United: Jarrod Bowen injury update shared ahead of Bayer Leverkusen second leg
David Moyes will give Jarrod Bowen “until the last minute” to prove his fitness ahead of West Ham United’s second leg with Bayer Leverkusen, according to the Evening Standard.
The England international missed the 2-0 first-leg defeat in Germany with a back injury and then missed the weekend defeat to Fulham too, leaving the winger as a major doubt for the home leg with the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions.
But writing on their website (16 April), the news outlet report that while the Hammers face a nervous wait to find out about his availability, the manager will wait until the last minute before making a decision.
Should Jarrod Bowen be risked for West Ham United v Bayer Leverkusen?
There is an argument to be had that not risking Jarrod Bowen in the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen David Moyes is essentially admitting defeat in the tie.
Lucas Paqueta is already suspended for the game after his yellow card in the first leg, and while Mohammed Kudus is always spectacular the alternative options in attack are rather underwhelming, hence links to other attackers for the summer.
But the Premier League season isn’t over yet and there is still a chance to qualify for European competition for next season, and Bowen will be essential to that.
If he were to play in a second leg that the team aren’t expecting to win in and get hurt, that could be a bigger blow for the rest of the season and it’s a decision that can’t be taken lightly.
Even if Bowen is fit enough for a section of the game then he should be involved, but fans shouldn’t be surprised to see him get the nod from the start.
In other West Ham news, one European club have submitted a bid for a Hammers-linked defender.
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