West Ham have been handed a potential boost ahead of the visit of reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday as their manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed yet another injury absentee at his end.
The Reds have already been counting the cost of injuries to central defensive pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez before their victory over Tottenham on Thursday, which came at yet more expense.
In the aftermath of the match, Klopp confirmed that Liverpool’s last remaining senior centre-back Joel Matip had picked up an ankle ligament injury which “looks serious“.
The German was already without stand-in centre-back Fabinho for the match against Spurs, and he admitted that Matip’s absence for Sunday’s trip to the London Stadium has created a “massive problem” for his side.
Matip was replaced at half-time by 23-year-old Nat Phillips, who was Man of the Match when the Irons travelled to Anfield earlier in the season.
READ WEST HAM VERDICT
Whilst the defensive issues are cause for optimism for David Moyes and West Ham, Liverpool’s return to their dangerous attacking best on Thursday won’t go unnoticed by the Irons management.
That said, the Hammers have rarely been better placed to challenge the champions at the London Stadium, and given the respective form of the two sides, Moyes will have his charges believing they can get something from the game.
After missing the Anfield clash, a fit and firing Michail Antonio will be relishing the chance to pit his significant wits against Phillips and perhaps an out-of-position Jordan Henderson as Liverpool’s likely centre-back pairing.
