West Ham suffer Kurt Zouma injury blow ahead of Premier League run-in and Europa Conference League semi-final

Hammers defender limped off with an ankle problem during Saturday’s 4-3 defeat to Crystal Palace
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Kurt Zouma will be sent for a scan to find out the extent of the ankle injury that forced him off early in West Ham’s 4-3 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Zouma suffered the injury while trying to prevent Jordan Ayew’s 15th-minute equaliser and had to be replaced soon after by Angelo Ogbonna.

The Hammers have just five Premier League matches left to play this season, but also have a Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar to look forward to next month.

At this critical stage of the campaign, with West Ham fighting for survival on one front and silverware on the other, Zouma’s absence would be a major blow, with the Frenchman firmly established as Moyes’s first-choice centre-back.

“It looks as if he’s gone over on his ankle,” Moyes said. “His ankle’s swollen up at the moment, we’ll get him checked up tomorrow with a scan.”

For the second game in a row, Moyes was left frustrated by the lack of VAR intervention concerning a penalty, this time one given against his side as Nayef Aguerd’s light touch on Eberechi Eze was deemed a foul by referee Craig Pawson.

Following Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, Moyes had accused VAR of “disrespecting” West Ham after referee Chris Kavanagh was not told to review a possible penalty for handball against Reds midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

“Maybe the words I said in midweek were correct,” Moyes added. "The thing they really pride themselves on is not giving soft penalties in the Premier League this year and I think it’s certainly a very soft penalty.”

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