West Ham have received a double defensive injury boost.
Kurt Zouma was forced off with an ankle injury at Brentford earlier this month with initial scans leaving the Hammers fearing that his season could be over.
Issa Diop was then added to the injury list with his own ankle problem, leaving manager David Moyes with just one fit central defender in Craig Dawson.
Moyes has suggested that Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt may come too soon for both but there will now be hope that either Zouma or Diop could feature in the second leg next week.
“Kurt is back doing light work, he is ahead of schedule which is really good,” said Moyes. “Issa is actually doing quite well as well, we feel a little bit better than we first hoped.
“There is a bit of positivity around those players and because of that it has given us a bit of a perk up that maybe they’re not quite as long as we thought they might be.
“I never rush players back, it is always better to make sure they’re right.”
Knee injury victim Angelo Ogbonna has returned to Rush Green to step up his recovery but is unlikely to feature before the end of the season.
“Angelo Ogbonna is back in the building,” said Moyes.
“I would be amazed if Angelo played again before the end of the season.”
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!