Hammers hit by new defender injury crisis

West Ham’s defensive crisis deepened this morning after CandH learned that Sam Byram is unlikely to be available for the match against Liverpool.

We understand the right sided defender – booked to step in for the suspended Pablo Zabaleta – has suffered a quads injury which looks likely to keep him out of the critical London Stadium game.

And although Winston Reid may  make the game, Jose Fonte is struggling after leaving the action against Palace last weekend.

It’s a hammer blow for under siege Slaven Bilic who is hanging on to his job by his finger nails after the disastrous start to the season.

The only fully fit central defenders at this stage of the week are Declan Rice and Angelo Ogbonna which means that Cheik Kouyate will be pulled into the back line should Reid and the highly improbable Byram miss out.

With  Bilic facing what many believe could be his last game in charge should he lose, the news could not have come at a worse time for him.