Key Southampton duo Armel Bella-Kotchap and Jan Bednarek look set to miss the crucial West Ham relegation clash after suffering bizarre injuries.
There is no hiding from the sheer magnitude of the game between West Ham and survival rivals Southampton after the international break.
The Hammers and Saints are two of nine clubs involved in one of the tightest Premier League relegation battles of all time.
The nine clubs from 12th place down to Southampton in 20th are separated by just four points.
Rock bottom Saints head to the London Stadium just one point behind third-bottom West Ham on Sunday April 2nd.
Key Southampton duo Armel Bella-Kotchap and Jan Bednarek to miss crucial West Ham relegation clash after bizarre injuries
Ruben Selles’ side know a win will take them above the Hammers and potentially out of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile David Moyes and West Ham know victory at home could catapult them up to 13th in the table while putting what would effectively be a five-point gap between them and Southampton given their vastly superior goal difference.
Throw in the fact West Ham would also still have two games in hand over the Saints and things would start to look a lot more promising for Moyes and his men.
This season’s relegation battle is going to be decided by very fine margins.
So Moyes will take any advantage he can get heading into the six-pointer and he may have been handed one.
Because key Southampton duo Bella-Kotchap and Bednarek look set to miss crucial West Ham relegation clash after bizarre injuries.
The Saints centre-back could miss the West Ham game as he anxiously awaits the results of a scan on an injury he sustained in the 3-3 draw with Tottenham at the weekend.
The German international teammate of West Ham’s Thilo Kehrer has been forced to withdraw from his country’s national squad for their upcoming friendlies as a result of a strange shoulder injury.
Bella-Kotchap opted against surgery on a shoulder injury last year in order to make the Germany World Cup squad.
The Daily Echo claims the brilliant young star – who has become the bedrock of the Southampton side of late – could be out for months if he requires surgery.
Bella-Kotchap was criticised by pundit Paul Merson as he watched the match unfold on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.
Merson said the defender only had himself to blame for the injury because it was his exaggerated fall to the ground to win a foul which caused it.
West Ham will be hoping the 21-year-old misses the crucial match because it may improve their chances of scoring and winning.
So too will the absence of one-time West Ham target Bednarek. The Polish defender was rushed to hospital after suffering broken ribs in the same game.
The centre-back tried to play on but then collapsed coughing profusely before being taken away by physios and straight to hospital.
It is obviously a cruel blow for Southampton to lose their first choice central defensive pairing.
But it will be a huge boost to West Ham with both expected to be out for at least one month in a best case scenario.
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