West Ham United boss David Moyes admits an injury set-back to right-back Ben Johnson led to the Hammers dipping back into the transfer market on deadline day.
Johnson, who featured regularly as a makeshift centre-back in the Hammers' opening games of the season due to injury issues in defence but is now on the treatment table himself after sustaining a hamstring injury during last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park.
He is expected to be out of action for a few weeks, and with Aaron Cresswell potentially out injured with a groin issue, after not training on Friday, Moyes has concerns over his options at the back, especially with £30million centre-back Nayef Aguerd sidelined for much of the run in until the World Cup break with an ankle injury.
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"[Johnson] has got a bit of a hamstring injury," Moyes told football.london. "It is a blow because we were playing him as a centre half because we haven’t had many defenders and with Ben being out and a question mark over Cressy (Aaron Cresswell), it keeps me incredibly short of defenders."
Injuries to Johnson, Cresswell and Aguerd, as well as Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson working towards full fitness, meant that Moyes went in pursuit of a new full-back signing on deadline day.
West Ham had a bid worth £6.9million for Torino’s Ola Aina rejected, while reports in Belgium claimed that the club also held an interest in signing Stade de Reims right-back Thomas Foket. However, the club did not sign a new full-back, with young prospect Harrison Ashby not making a deadline day move to Newcastle United as a result.
Moyes admits the late move for another defender was due to the club’s current injury issues, with a hectic fixture schedule, including all six of the club’s Europa Conference League group stage matches, 11 Premier League matches and a Carabao Cup third round tie to come between now and November 13.
"Yeah it, was because we've got concerns, we're short in those areas at the moment and I just couldn't afford any more injuries," Moyes answered when asked about interest in a new full-back on deadline day.
"We're playing Sunday, Thursday between now and the end of November so trying to get the likes of Dawson back ready quickly, and at the moment we've only got Thilo and Kurt. Angelo is on his way back but not quite, still got a bit to go. We've got those problems."
Moyes has also opened up on the centre-back Dawson’s deadline day move to Wolverhampton Wanderers that fell through.
Dawson, who recently expressed an interest to leave the club and return to the West Midlands, had been the subject of a bid of £4million (plus £2million in add-ons). However, West Ham were only willing to let him leave if they could find a late replacement for him, which they were unable to, despite interest in Jan Bednarek and Duje Caleta-Car, who joined Aston Villa and Southampton respectively on deadline day.
"He was our player so he was always going to be here unless we got something which would suit us and it didn’t work out that way," explained Moyes. "He is here so we are fine with that.
"Wolves had made an offer and I think it came quite close but it didn’t get over the line. He’s not available at the moment. He might be a little while yet as he has only just recovered from a thigh strain."
Dawson is back in training but remains short of full fitness, having not played in any of the club’s seven matches in all competitions so far this season due to a quad injury.
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