West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini suffers injury recurrence ahead of Brighton clash | OneFootball

Manuel Lanzini has been handed another gutting injury blow ahead of West Ham’s crunch match with Brighton this weekend…

What’s the latest?

According to Irons insiders Claret & Hugh, the Argentine midfielder was sent for precautionary scans on Monday after leaving the pitch early during their 1-0 defeat to Everton at the weekend.

It is thought that he has suffered a recurrence to the thigh and groin problem that has kept him out previously this campaign.

Before Christmas, he missed the game against Chelsea and more recently, he was absent for back-to-back matches against Wolves and Leicester City.

Speaking after Sunday’s third loss in four games, Moyes told reporters (via football.london): “Lanzini had an injury at the top of his thigh and it looks as if it is the top of his thigh or a groin strain that he had before.”

Gutting blow

It’s been the same story at the London Stadium all campaign.

As soon as a few players return from the treatment table, new ones face time out.

Having welcomed back the likes of Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell into the starting XI in recent matches, it seems that Moyes could well be without another key star once again as Lanzini’s withdrawal just 43 minutes into the match is serious cause for concern.

If the problem wasn’t that bad, then you’d have expected him to last the extra few minutes until the break, or even shake it off but the fact that he didn’t is certainly worrying.

The 28-year-old has played a huge role in the Hammers’ recent outings, playing in a deeper midfield position in the absence of both Declan Rice and Mark Noble, if those two are absent again on Saturday, alongside Lanizni, then Moyes has one serious problem brewing.

It’s a must-win for the Irons, too. They have slipped out of top-four contention and may need to win their remaining three matches to qualify for the Europa League.

Liverpool could leapfrog them on Thursday evening with a win over Manchester United, meaning they’d be sat in sixth place with Spurs and Everton hot on their tail.

Moyes will be far from pleased with these latest developments and for the Hammers squad, it’s another gutting blow.

AND in other news, West Ham eye Jesse Lingard alternative in £18m “genius” who’s a “delight to watch”…