Date published: Friday 19th November 2021 8:44 – News Desk
West Ham manager David Moyes has said he does not expect Angelo Ogbonna to play again this season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Liverpool.
Ogbonna is to undergo surgery after sustaining the knee issue in the 3-2 Premier League win at the London Stadium on November 7.
Asked about the 33-year-old Italian at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves, Hammers boss Moyes said: “He is going to have surgery, we think surgery will take place over the next couple of days.
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“I think most people who know much about injuries and listen to what the doctors say, cruciate ligament injuries tend to take I think somewhere around about nine months.
“I don’t think there’s a quick return from cruciates. I think there is a period which has to be taken and recovery time. So I would probably say yes, I think it will be hard for Angelo to be back this season.
“It’s really sad, because he’s done a great job for us, he is a great boy, a great team player. He’s someone we love having around, and more importantly, his performances have been excellent. So it’s a real sad moment for him and also for us.”
It appears midfielder Declan Rice, who withdrew from the England squad last week because of illness, is set to be available for the Wolves match.
Moyes said of his players who went away on international duty that “everybody looks OK”, before adding: “I may be wrong, but I maybe wonder how many people this week (at other clubs) won’t be fit.
“I just think it’s just beginning to take its toll on a lot of players, the amount of games we’ve had, especially the international boys. It’s quite quickly brushed under the table because people don’t like to talk about it. I just have a feeling you might find there’s quite a lot of international players who are toiling.
“I’m looking at England, the players who had to drop out. Declan Rice had a terrible virus, played against Liverpool brilliantly well, but was incredibly ill. We can see things are happening. It’s just part of football, whether it be illness, injury, or whether it just be general fatigue for them all.”