West Ham 'game-changer' set to miss Anderlecht clash through injury

West Ham star Maxwel Cornet being injured is a huge blow to his progression at the London Stadium, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Hammers return to European action when they face Anderlect in their third Europa Conference League tie tonight, but will be without Cornet following his recent setback.

Following a frustrating opening few months since his £17.5m switch from Burnley, the Ivory Coast international finally got his first Premier League start for the club against Wolves on Saturday.

Cornet had been on the bench for the previous four league fixtures but was finally given the nod by David Moyes in place of Pablo Fornals.

But the wide man’s joy lasted just 33 minutes after he hobbled off with a calf injury and was replaced by the Spaniard.

Read more: Europa Conference League 2022/23: Fixtures, Draw, Dates, Schedule, Final, Teams and Everything We Know So Far

As a result, Cornet isn’t part of the squad travelling to Belgium for the group stage game, although Moyes did admit that he doesn’t think it’s serious.

The Hammers boss said: “Maxwel Cornet hasn’t travelled. He’s got a little bit of a calf strain. We don’t know how long it will keep him out at the moment, but we don’t think it’s too severe.”

Thankfully, West Ham still ended up beating Wolves, but they’ll have to try and continue their momentum without Cornet.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think he’s obviously really, really desperate to prove himself and get as many appearances under his belt as possible.

“So, it’s a blow for him that he’s not playing as I think he’s a genuine game changer.”

With West Ham one of seven Premier League teams facing a congested schedule due to their participation in European competition, Moyes was probably likely to make changes