Hammers suffer double injury blow to Antonio and Bowen
West Ham’s string of misfortune continued during the international break as Jarrod Bowen had to withdraw from the England squad due to injury. Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that the Hammers’ striker was unable to join the team in Macedonia.
This development amplifies the pressure on the squad following Michail Antonio’s injury. Bowen was expected to step up as West Ham’s primary striker after Antonio suffered knee ligament damage while on international duty with Jamaica. The Hammers forward was carried off early during the game against Canada. Initial reports suggested a Hamstring injury, however Claret & Hugh reported from a senior source that it was knee ligaments.
Now, West Ham faces a challenging situation with Danny Ings as the sole senior striker available. Despite Divin Mubama training with the first team, it appears that David Moyes is hesitant to include him in the lineup.
The team is now grappling with a nightmare scenario, desperately in need of attackers. One potential option could be utilizing Maxwel Cornet as a striker, but the situation calls for creative thinking from Moyes.
Confirming Bowen’s injury, Southgate stated, “Unfortunately, Jarrod picked up an injury. He didn’t feel right yesterday and then again at the end of training today. So we didn’t really have enough time to assess it fully and make a really accurate decision before the game. We felt it was better to leave him in England so that he can get it properly assessed. I don’t think it’s going to be anything serious, but we just didn’t have enough time, and we wouldn’t take a risk with that player.”