Winston Reid looks unlikely to join the New Zealand squad for their clash against South Korea during the international break.
Although the central defender is on the mend from a hamstring injury, Hammers medics believe there’s too much of a risk in him being launched into action before he’s properly healed.
New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson is a pal of Sam Allardyce’s and is being kept in touch with the situation ahead of the friendly in Seoul.
But the Hammers boss is likely to err on the side of the caution given his current injury problems to ensure that Reid is 100 per cent fit for the clash against Leicester.
A Hammers source revealed to ClaretandHugh that the club want him to stay at home insisting he needs more time to recover from the injury to ensure his presence in the team for Leicester on April 4.
He said: “It’s an unnecessary risk. If he plays too soon it could put him out for longer.”
But the Kiwis boss said: “Winston is our captain and leader and we will continue to monitor his situation closely.”