West Ham United manager David Moyes has provided a positive update on the fitness of Kurt Zouma and Maxwel Cornet and explained the pair are moving closer to a return to first-team involvement.
Zouma has been out of action since the 2-0 win over Everton in January, while Cornet, who has made nine appearances since his arrival last summer, has been sidelined with a calf injury he picked up in the Hammers’ 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in October last year.
Moyes hinted that both are now nearing a return, with positive strides made in their respective recoveries over the past weeks.
“Kurt Zouma is doing better, and Maxi is coming on,” Moyes explained, in his pre-Brighton press conference on Friday morning. “We’ll see how he is and hopefully we’ll get them closer to the first team.”
Moyes’ matchday squad for the trip to the Amex Stadium will be bolstered by the return of Danny Ings, who missed the FA Cup fifth round defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday due to being cup-tied.
The 30-year-old scored a brace on his full debut in the Irons’ 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest last Saturday - and will look to add to the two goals he scored against Brighton & Hove Albion, for Aston Villa, earlier this season when the Hammers seek a first Premier League win over the Seagulls at the 12th attempt.
“What I have seen from Danny is what I expected,” Moyes said. “And what I hope we will continue to get.
“Sometimes when strikers come into their final years [of their career] they know the job even better. They know exactly how they should do it and where they should be. They have the nous to do it [even better]. He has scored goals throughout his career, and we hope he continues to do so.”
