West Ham have confirmed two cruel injury blows to defensive duo Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson.
The pair limped off in the 3-2 victory over Chelsea at the London Stadium and it appears will now face a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
Following the season-ending blow to Angelo Ogbonna, Irons’ boss David Moyes is now down to the bare-bones defensively.
Taking to the official club website and Twitter, the Hammers have confirmed the extent of the injuries.
We can confirm that Kurt Zouma sustained a hamstring tendon injury during Saturday’s win over Chelsea.
Ben Johnson has also started his rehabilitation after suffering a low-grade hamstring strain.
Best of luck with your recoveries, Ben & @KurtZouma! 👊⚒
— West Ham United (@WestHam) December 7, 2021
Depending on the severity and the recovery, West Ham could be without the 27-year-old French international for anything up to three months.
Prior to the setback, Zouma had earned an impressive 6.91 average Sofascore rating in 11 Premier League outings.
READ WEST HAM VERDICT
Whilst the Irons will undoubtedly miss Johnson, it’s the Frenchman who is the biggest loss here.
Already without Ogbonna, Moyes now only has Craig Dawson and Issa Diop available as recognised central defenders.
Given the likelihood of a lengthy layoff for Zouma, surely West Ham will now venture immediately into the January transfer market.
As well as a move for one of those linked in recent weeks, the Hammers may consider recalling Frederik Alves from a season-long loan spell at Sunderland.
