Bowen pulls out of England squad
West Ham’s run of misfortune during the international break persisted 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 intensifies the pressure on the squad following Michail Antonio’s injury. Bowen was expected to step up as West Ham’s main striker after Antonio suffered knee ligament damage while on international duty with Jamaica.
Now, West Ham find themselves in a nightmare situation with Danny Ings as the only senior striker available. While Divin Mubama has been training with the first team, it seems that David Moyes is hesitant to include him in the line-up.
Confirming Bowen’s injury, Southgate stated, “Unfortunately, Jarrod picked up an injury. I think he felt it a little bit yesterday and then again at the end of training today. So we didnāt really have enough time to assess it fully and make a really accurate decision before the game. We felt better to leave him in England so that he can get it properly assessed. I donāt think itās going to be anything serious, but we just didnāt have enough time, and we wouldnāt take a risk with that player”.
Proper planning prevents poor performance – old but true. Should have given Mubama and Marshall some minutes to introduce them, but now it may be necessary they are under prepared. DOH!