Excuse the pun, but after yesterday`s loss against Palace , there was further insult to injury, as Kurt Zouma is now the latest player to be crocked in our injury hit season. 
Even though Zouma and West Ham have not had the best of seasons, the Hammers’ backline and team as a whole have often struggled when the big French International has not played.
According to Opta, in the ten games he has not started this season, West Ham have won just once and averaged 0.7 points per game. In his 23 starts, West Ham have averaged 1.17 points per game, an increase of just under 60% in points per game with him in the team.
However, the games he has been forced off early through injury have ended in defeat, both to Leicester City and now, Palace.
There is no way of knowing exactly whether West Ham would have prevented Palace from putting four past them had Zouma not got injured and played the full 90 minutes, but there has been a notable difference, when he has and has not played this season.
With just five league games left, an average of 0.7 points without Zouma starting, and should his ankle issue be in worst-case-scenario territory this would mean West Ham would/should pick up between three and four points between now and the rest of the season reaching the magical 37/38 point mark would should make us safe,
But we have an important seven-game May that includes the final five league games of the season, and the two Europa Conference League semi-finals with AZ Alkmaar.
Hopefully big Kurt`s absence will have minimal effect.