A new Jarrod Bowen injury update will fill West Ham with dread ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Bayer Leverkusen.
The Holy Trinity of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta are all vital to West Ham.
It is top scorer Bowen who is arguably the most important of the lot for the Hammers, though.
Not only for his goal threat, pace and versatility. But his desire, tireless running and work for the team too.
In many ways Bowen makes West Ham tick.
So as we enter the business end of the season, David Moyes needs him fit, firing and available.
Bayer Leverkusen away on Thursday night represents West Ham’s biggest game of the season so far.
And it promises to be one of their toughest too.
As fans will know, the German champions elect are unbeaten in all competitions this season, a run stretching to a remarkable 41 games ahead of the showdown with West Ham.
The manager will be desperate to come away from the BayArena with a positive result and West Ham still well in the tie ahead of the second leg at the London Stadium.
Already without key midfielder Edson Alvarez, the last thing West Ham need is to be without Bowen too.
But that is the very real and worrying prospect facing the Hammers.
A new Bowen injury update will fill West Ham with dread ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.
Because West Ham will not know until hours before the huge game in Germany whether Bowen will be available.
That’s according to a club source speaking to Sean Whetstone overnight.
“Club source on Bowen’s injury this evening: ‘Still sore today, we won’t know till Wednesday or Thursday if he will be fit’,” Whetstone said.
Bowen’s importance in this tie cannot be underestimated.
Speaking to Hammers News ahead of the first leg, German football expert Kevin Hatchard highlighted just how key the West Ham star will be.
“I think West Ham’s best chance will be on the counter-attack, as that’s where Bowen, Kudus etc can do damage,” Hatchard said in an exclusive in-depth preview with Hammers News.
“The fear is that I expect West Ham to sit deep for long spells and let Bayer have the ball, and generally when teams do that, Bayer break them down.”
If Bowen does not make it Moyes is expected to switch to a back five and play Emerson further forward as he did against Wolves.
That would likely see Aaron Cresswell come in from the start.