West Ham right-back Vladimir Coufal could face an extended spell on the sidelines through injury, according to expert Ben Dinnery.
The Lowdown: Coufal out injured
The Hammers are enjoying a superb start to the season, not only shining in the Premier League but also catching the eye in the Europa League and reaching the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
One negative at the moment is that Coufal has been struggling with a groin injury, even though he featured in Wednesday's cup win over Manchester City.
The Czech Republic international has been an influential figure for David Moyes' side, making 45 appearances to date and registering eight assists in that time - he averages the third-most tackles and third-most crosses of any Irons player this term, showing his effectiveness on both sides of the ball.
The Latest: Expert provides worrying update
Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery admits Coufal's injury recovery may not be going well after Moyes admitted the defender was having injections to ease the pain:
"This may be a little more complex than we thought.
"It may be that things aren’t progressing as well as they hoped after he picked up the injury in the League Cup against Man United a while back.
"The injury was being managed conservatively. We saw that he wasn’t training a lot and was then rolled out for matchday. The injection is used when a player is in a lot of pain. It will limit the pain and reduce the inflammation around that area.
"We expected to see him back in and around the squad in game week eight or nine but that hasn’t come to fruition. It could be that he isn’t responding and that might mean they need to make a decision with regards to treatment.
"But West Ham are winning games, so is there a need to rush? They have the luxury to be able to continue in his absence."
The Verdict: Big blow if Dinnery is right...
Coufal has been such a steady, reliable performer for West Ham that it is vital he doesn't face a prolonged spell on the sidelines this season.
The 29-year-old is a model of consistency in his defensive work, averaging 2.1 tackles and clearance apiece per game in the league this season.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher is a massive fan of the defender, admitting he 'loves' the Czech Republic international and placing him in his team of the season for 2020/21, which shows the sort of level the defender has been at since arriving in London.
The hope is that Coufal is managed sensibly and ends up proving his fitness, not missing too much action in the process.
In other news, some West Ham fans have gone wild over an official club announcement. Read more here.