West Ham United’s head coach, Graham Potter, has expressed his disappointment over the absence of Mohammed Kudus following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.
The Ghanaian international was surprisingly left out of the matchday squad, leading some fans to believe it was an April Fools’ Day prank.
However, Potter disclosed that Kudus suffered an injury during training on Monday, just a few days after returning from international duty.
The Hammers struggled without Kudus and lacked sharpness in attack, despite controlling large portions of the contest.
They succumbed to their second loss in three matches, with a 1-0 defeat against Wolves at the Molineux Stadium.
Although Potter praised his team’s ability to dictate play, the lack of creativity and clinical finishing proved costly, as Jørgen Strand Larsen’s deflected first-half effort secured all three points for Wolves.
Norway international forward, Jørgen Strand Larsen, scored the only goal of the game in the 21st minute.
Kudus has been an important player for West Ham, despite the team’s struggles in the English Premier League.
His injury is a significant blow to the team, and it remains unclear how long he will be sidelined.
Evan Ferguson, who started in place of the Ghanaian, squandered a glorious chance early on.
The Republic of Ireland forward, fresh from scoring during the international break, failed to capitalise on a prime opportunity before being substituted for Niclas Füllkrug.
Füllkrug, returning after three months out with a hamstring injury, provided a much-needed focal point and came close with a looping header that struck the crossbar.
Despite an improved second-half performance, West Ham couldn’t find an equaliser, as Emerson and Tomáš Souček both hit the side netting with promising late attempts.
Reflecting on the defeat, Potter acknowledged the challenges posed by Jean-Clair Todibo and noted that Kudus’ absence disrupted their game plan.
“It was difficult. We lost Mo (Kudus) to injury and Todibo as well, so we had to readjust quickly,” he shared on West Ham’s official website.
While Kudus’ form this season has been less influential compared to his electrifying debut season, where he scored eight goals and provided six assists, he currently has just three goals and one assist in 24 Premier League outings.
After breaking his 431-day international goal drought with Ghana, Kudus is eager to end his current 13-game barren run for West Ham.
On April 5, Potter hopes Kudus’ return against Antoine Semenyo’s AFC Bournemouth will inject the much-needed spark in the final third.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side is reportedly preparing an £84 million bid for Mohammed Kudus.
The Saudi Pro League giants had attempted to sign the Ghanaian midfielder during the winter transfer window but were unsuccessful.
With Al-Nassr eager to strengthen their squad, Kudus could become the latest high-profile player to make the move to Saudi Arabia.
NAD/AE
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians applaud Black Stars for excellent performances against Chad, Madagascar
