Hopes that Angelo Ogbonna could be back before the end of  the season are fading and dying! .

The central defender out since the Liverpool game at the London Stadium in November when he broke down with injury.

There have been regular updates and the player is now back in training but we understand the medical department has now ruled out hopes that he will be back for the last couple of games.

That will come as a blow to David Moyes who obviously had his fingers crossed given the injuries to Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop.

Instead the manager will need to consider playing Ben Johnson at central defence alongside Craig Dawson or drafting in Aji Alese for the game at Chelsea and beyond.

Neither Alese or Jamal Bapiste were on the bench for the match against Burnley so it may well be that the manager will go with the Johnson/Dawson option.