West Ham United have been handed a boost after an injury update from Claret & Hugh revealed that Vladimir Coufal will be ready to return for the clash against Aston Villa next weekend.
The Lowdown
During the Hammers’ disappointing 2-0 loss to Brighton on Sunday, David Moyes was forced into a 75th-minute substitution after the 30-year-old suffered what appeared to be a serious injury.
The Czech Republic international was replaced by Ben Johnson, who thankfully was available to come on after starting their previous two games at centre-back due to various absences.
However, following Coufal’s injury, worries emerged concerning the length of his spell on the sidelines.
The Latest
West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh have now provided an injury update on the defender, sharing surprising details of the issue itself.
According to their report, they learnt after the Brighton game that the right-back had actually been knocked unconscious, rather than having sustained a more physical or tangible injury as previously feared.
This means the defender will be available for the Irons' next Premier League game against Aston Villa in six days' time.
As per Claret & Hugh, an inside source claimed: “He was concussed after being knocked unconscious. As a result, it will be the stipulated six days before he can play again.”
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The Verdict
Having started all three of the Hammers’ opening Premier League games, the news that Coufal will be available by the weekend's trip to Villa Park will bring a sense of relief to Moyes, who will no longer have to contemplate implementing alternative measures to his usual back-line.
Following the arrival of Thilo Kehrer at centre-back, Johnson can revert to his more natural position at right-back, where he will be able to be rotated with the recovering 30-year-old.
Therefore, with Moyes’ eyes focused on securing additions for other areas of the pitch, Coufal’s return will come as a big relief to GSB, who may not need to fork out on an extra full-back this summer in the knowledge that the Czech ace won't be sidelined for a lengthy period of time.
It's also a welcome boost due to the 30-year-old's performances in recent weeks, demonstrating his defensive acumen by posting the third-highest tackling average (1.7 per game) and joint-most interceptions per game (two) in Moyes' squad.