West Ham suffer Manuel Lanzini blow and defender Arthur Masuaku sent to see knee specialist David Moyes confirms ahead of Watford.
The Hammers face the Hornets as the Premier League resumes on Tuesday night.
And the game is huge for both teams with West Ham desperate to return to winning ways to stay in the mix for the European places while Watford need every point they can get in a bid to avoid relegation.
West Ham go into the game off the back of that very fortunate 2-1 extra-time FA Cup win over National League North side Kidderminster Harriers.
Watford played out a turgid 0-0 draw with relegation rivals Burnley in a catch-up game at the weekend.
With Watford hiring Roy Hodgson as their new manager and bringing in several new players since West Ham beat them 4-1 at the end of December, it promises to be a very different proposition for Moyes’s side.
West Ham suffer Manuel Lanzini blow and defender Arthur Masuaku sent to see knee specialist David Moyes confirms
And they will have to make do without two players.
That’s after West Ham suffered a blow with the news in-form midfield ace Lanzini is out with an Achilles injury.
And although less of an impact on the team, defender Masuaku will also miss out as he has been sent to see a knee specialist Moyes has confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
“We had an injury to Lanzini and an injury to Arthur (Masuaku),” Moyes said this afternoon (whufc.com).
“They’re both doing okay but Arthur’s going to see a specialist about his knee and Manu’s needing a bit of time with an Achilles injury.”
West Ham will be rocked by the news of Lanzini’s injury as he had become an integral starter for Moyes in recent months.
The Hammers had been struggling in transition before Lanzini earned a regular starting spot over the winter period.
But now the likes of Pablo Fornals – who impressed in his cameo against Kiddy – will have to step up.
And West Ham fans will want to see more from the likes of Nikola Vlasic too.
Masuaku’s absence will not be felt as acutely. West Ham fans dread seeing him used anywhere near the left-back position. And both Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal can more than adequately cover on the left for Aaron Cresswell if and when needed.
West Ham will be aiming for all three points against the Hornets. But Moyes’s side can go back up to fourth in the table with a draw depending on Man United’s result against Burnley on the same evening.
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