It’s an unmitigated Jarrod Bowen disaster for West Ham as a top board source delivers awful news ahead of the Europa League quarter-final.
West Ham hearts were in mouths when Jarrod Bowen went down in excruciating pain during the win at Wolves at the weekend.
And with good reason.
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.
Bowen, Bowen, gone
Not only for his goal threat, pace and versatility. But his desire, tireless running and work for the team too.
Bowen makes West Ham tick and despite some hope the injury was not serious an update yesterday on Bowen filled West Ham with dread ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Bayer Leverkusen.
It was claimed West Ham would wait until the day of the game to make a decision on the frontrunner for Hammer of the Year.
Unmitigated Bowen disaster for West Ham
As we enter the business end of the season, David Moyes needs him fit, firing and available if West Ham are to achieve their aims.
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.
But it looks like an unmitigated Bowen disaster for West Ham as a board source delivers awful news.
Sean Whetstone, who counts majority owner David Sullivan among his contacts, says the results of a scan on Bowen were not good.
Spine-tingling news for Moyes
The forward has a badly bruised spine – an injury expected to keep him out of not only Thursday but potentially the next THREE WEEKS.
“The latest update is not looking good for West Ham,” Whetstone said.
“Scan results show Hammer Jarrod Bowen is suffering from a badly bruised spine which on average takes two to three weeks to heal.”
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 now facing the Hammers.
West Ham fans don’t need to be told of course, but Bowen’s importance to the team and for the quarter-final tie cannot be underestimated.
West Ham lose most important player?
Speaking to Hammers News ahead of the big clash, top German football expert Kevin Hatchard highlighted just how key Bowen is to West Ham’s chances of success.
“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 – as now seems almost certain – Bowen does not make the games then 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.