Injury bug strikes again: Kouyate out for start of season

After a season of injuries West Ham United have been bitten by the injury bug again. The Daily Mirror is reporting that midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has suffered a knee injury in training and will miss the first month of the season.

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The midfielder was injured during the team’s preseason training camp in Austria this week. Kouyate will miss the season opener against Manchester United and will likely miss games against Southampton and Newcastle.

It’s a major disappointment to lose such an influential player to a preseason training injury. Kouyate has been a major contributor for the Hammers since joining the squad in 2014 from Anderlecht. He’s been one of the most consistent players in the team for the past few seasons.

This likely means that Mark Noble will partner with Pedro Obiang in the defensive midfielder positions to start the year. This will be the first major injury that new physio Gary Lewin will treat since joining West Ham this summer.

We certainly wish Cheikhou a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him on the pitch soon!