West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal has withdrawn from the Czech Republic squad to concentrate on returning to full fitness.
The 29-year-old missed the Hammers’ victory over Rapid Wien in the Europa League last week with a groin problem before returning to action in the Premier League.
Coufal received criticism for his display against Brentford and it has since emerged that the former Slavia Prague ace might not have been at full fitness.
The news was confirmed by the club’s official website and cited by West Ham News & Views on Twitter.
David Moyes faces a trip to a former employer when domestic action begins after the break as the Irons face Everton at Goodison Park.
So far this season the 24-cap ace has earned a 6.99 average Sofascore rating from seven league outings.
Coufal will miss Group E World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Belarus.
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This will be music to the ears of the Hammers faithful, especially with fellow right-back Ryan Fredericks also struggling.
Fans often fear for their players picking up injuries whilst away on international duty, so a star opting up pull out due to a knock comes as sweet relief.
Meanwhile, West Ham have been handed a further boost as talismanic forward Michail Antonio has also made himself unavailable for international duty for Jamaica due to ‘logistical and travel difficulties’.
