West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola could be out for a while after picking up an injury in the disappointing 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United over the weekend.
As if the nature of the gut-wrenching defeat wasn’t enough, Areola had to be replaced at half time with Lukasz Fabianski taking his place between the sticks.
Manager David Moyes has confirmed that he won’t be available for Tuesday night’s crunch London derby showdown against Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium.
Moyes said (via the club’s official website): “Alphonse has hurt his groin. We’re hopeful that it’s not too serious, but he won’t be available on Tuesday night.
“He might be back quite quickly, so we’ll just have to see how things develop over the coming days.”
Areola’s injury could have dire consequences for West Ham
West Ham fans held their collective breath when Areola felt pain in his thigh and handed over kicking duties to Konstantinos Mavropanos.
However, Moyes’ optimism is a lifeline, and fans will be hoping Areola isn’t sidelined for too long as he has been in exceptional form this season.
Four clean sheets in 27 Premier League appearances don’t tell the whole story, with his 4.2 saves per game and a 73% save percentage establishing him as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.
Beyond the raw numbers, Areola’s presence exudes a confidence that ripples through the backline. He consistently prevents an average of 2.75 goals per game, which has kept West Ham in contention for European qualification.
Losing him for an extended period would be a major blow to the club’s hopes of landing a European spot in the crucial Premier League run-in.
West Ham also have a mouth-watering Europa League quarter-final against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen on the horizon.
Areola’s absence is a major setback and could derail West Ham’s hopes of ending the season on a high note.
