Hammers Manager Frustrated by Absence of Aguerd and Kudus in 0-0 Draw with Brighton

David Moyes has voiced his frustration with the Premier League’s scheduling after West Ham were deprived of key players for their goalless draw with Brighton. The Hammers were already struggling with injuries to several important figures, including Kurt Zouma, Lucas Paqueta, and Michail Antonio, but their issues were compounded by the absence of Nayef Aguerd and Mohammed Kudus, who were both called up to represent their countries in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

While the tournament in Ivory Coast doesn’t start until January 13, FIFA rules require clubs to release players for pre-tournament training camps, with the deadline passing on Monday. As a result, West Ham were left without their African stars for the match, a situation that Moyes described as unfair given the timing of the fixture.

Though many Premier League clubs retained their African players for the previous round of matches, including Mohamed Salah, who netted twice for Liverpool against Newcastle, West Ham found themselves at a disadvantage. Aguerd had already linked up with Morocco, while Kudus, still recovering from a minor hamstring strain, would have been unavailable regardless of his fitness.

Moyes expressed his dissatisfaction with the fixture schedule, suggesting that the game could have been played on January 1, allowing African players to feature. He pointed out that, despite the absence of key players, Brighton also faced selection issues, but he believes that teams should not be forced into these situations.

“I just don’t think it’s right that we’re disadvantaged because of this,” said Moyes. “Brighton, like us, were missing key players, but that’s beside the point. We should have had the same rights as other clubs.”

Despite his frustration, Moyes refrained from further comment on the matter, but his displeasure with the timing of the match was clear.