West Ham United duo Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are unlikely to return in time for the crunch clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (25 February), according to GiveMeSport.
The Hammers will host their relegation rivals at the London Stadium in a must-win game in the Premier League, with David Moyes set to face the sack if they fall to defeat.
However, the Scottish manager will have to mastermind a victory without a trio of first-The Times, 20 February]am players, including Paqueta, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, and Bowen, who hobbled off in the closing stages of the loss to Chelsea after being involved in a heavy clash.
The GiveMeSport report (23 February) said: “Cornet has made just five appearances for West Ham in the Premier League this campaign so far and has missed the bulk of this term due to recurring problems.
“Elsewhere, Kurt Zouma, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta look unlikely to return in time for their crunch clash against Nottingham Forest this weekend.”
Moyes was already under enough pressure as it was going into the relegation showdown against Forest, but the double injury blow has made his job ten times harder.
Paqueta and Bowen have been the Hammers’ two most creative players this season, so life without them could prove to be a struggle for Moyes. With Maxwel Cornet also not back to full fitness yet, West Ham’s attacking options have been decimated down to their bare bones, and others must now step up in their absence.
Danny Ings is one of these players. The Daily Mail reported on Thursday (23 February) that the former Aston Villa striker is in line for a start against Steve Cooper’s side, and his finishing will need to be at its potent best to help the Hammers to victory.
Ings is unlikely to have a host of chances if Paqueta and Bowen are indeed missing, but he has made a career on scoring goals out of nothing. No matter how ugly it gets, West Ham United desperately need to pick up three points this weekend.
