Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma are both in contention for West Ham's clash against Manchester United on Saturday, according to a report by football.london.

The Lowdown: Soucek and Zouma were big losses

Czech Republic captain Soucek was absent for the Hammers’ last two fixtures, in which they beat Norwich City 2-0 and lost 3-2 to Leeds United. The midfielder was unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19, which dealt David Moyes a huge blow.

So far this season, Soucek has ranked second out of the entire West Ham squad for numerous statistics occurring in the Premier League; these include tackles, interceptions, and even fouls – a debatably necessary trait for a defensive midfielder.

Zouma was another player who missed games out due to a positive test. Following his six-week absence after sustaining a hamstring injury, the Frenchman was only just back in training before that setback, rendering him unavailable for the Irons' upcoming matches.

Before suffering his injury, Zouma was a crucial element of Moyes’ back-line, having led the team in clearances made per game, maintaining a level of stability for the East-London side.

The Latest: Soucek and Zouma in contention for Man United fixture

According to a report by football.london, Moyes has confirmed that Soucek’s isolation period is set to end this week and that he will return to training, ahead of the Irons’ clash against Manchester United. When questioned about Soucek, Moyes responded:

"He could be in contention but everybody coming back from Covid you are not sure of their ability, how they are feeling what their symptoms are. So those things make it very difficult to make a judgement."

Furthermore, after an extra week of training following his positive test, Moyes confirmed that Zouma will be nearing a return.

The Verdict: Moyes relieved by their return

With Zouma once being labelled the ‘ultimate defender’, it is easy to see why Moyes will be relieved that the centre-back will soon be available for selection. The Hammers have suffered with a lack of depth this season, with Moyes keen on bringing in an extra centre-half in Angelo Ogbonna’s and Zouma’s absences.

Manuel Lanzini was tasked to stand-in for Soucek for the two games the Czech was unavailable: a tough task, given the praise hailing the midfielder as ‘incredible’ in his position.

The Argentine performed admirably in the Iron’s victory over Norwich but he struggled against Leeds, clearly suffocated by their ferocious press. As a result, fans will be glad to see Soucek’s return, as it will allow Lanzini to be utilised in his preferred position.