Jarrod Bowen could miss West Ham's Europa League games with Lyon next month due to injury, according to reports. Bowen has arguably been one of the Hammers’ star performers this season, netting 12 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions.
However, the 25-year-old sustained a foot injury in the 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield earlier this month, and has been missing from matchday squads ever since. Bowen has undergone scans on the injury, and West Ham have struggled to identify the root of the problem.
After West Ham's 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League round of 16 first leg on March 10, David Moyes told reporters that he was still unsure of the exact nature of Bowen's injury but that it was unlikely to be a serious problem. "Jarrod Bowen's not available. Jarrod probably won't be available until, at the earliest, after the international break," Moyes confirmed.
READ MORE: West Ham's defeat to Tottenham adds extra pressure to Hammers Europa League campaign
Now, The Athletic report that Bowen’s foot injury is worse than first feared, with the forward facing a race against time to be fit for West Ham’s Europa League quarter-final meetings with Lyon due to a fractured bone in his foot. West Ham are due to play Lyon at the London Stadium on April 7 before heading to France the following week.
The news is a major blow to West Ham, who would have hoped Bowen may have returned after the international break. The Hammers are next due to play on April 3, where they will host Everton in what could be a huge fixture in the Hammers' hunt for a place in the top four.
football.london understands West Ham are still hopeful Bowen could feature for the Hammers against Lyon, and it's expected the club will know more in the week leading up to the Everton fixture. Speaking after West Ham's 3-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, Moyes kept his cards close to his chest regarding an update on Bowen.
"I hope so, but I cannot guarantee it at the moment," the Hammers boss said when asked if Vladimir Coufal and Bowen would be back after the international break. "I think Vladimir is a little further down the line because we know what he had, an operation on his hernia and he is doing quite well. Jarrod I cannot be sure on."
