Kurt Zouma is set to return to the West Ham team before the end of the month in a huge boost to the Hammers push for Champions League qualification.
Zouma hobbled off with a hamstring injury in early December against former side Chelsea and the original prognosis at West Ham was a period of up to three months on the sidelines.
The injury to the French centre-back came just a month after the Hammers lost Angelo Ogbonna for the season to an anterior cruciate ligament injury and looked to provide a huge obstacle to their top-four push.
Having lost both defenders to injury David Moyes was left with just Issa Diop and Craig Dawson as the fit senior centre-backs available to him and as a result, was considering a move in the January transfer window to provide cover and competition in the backline.
The return of Zouma may not spell the end of West Ham's interest in defenders but it will become less of a concern now he is set to return soon.
"A defender is in our priorities but if we get Kurt [Zouma] back quite quickly, it might alter it," Moyes said on New Years' Day.
"Trying to get what we want and what we like and someone in is not easy but if I can get someone in I will do, as I do not want to be left short again. It would only take one more injury and we are back to the same situation."
Moyes may still look to strengthen in defence then but he is also keen to add a striker to his squad.
Top scorer Michail Antonio has ploughed a lone furrow for the Hammers this season and even the Jamaica international admits that competition for his spot in the team is a necessity.
"One thing that we definitely need is a striker, and the crazy thing is I’m the striker, so somebody is going to come in and try to take my spot! Antonio said on the Footballer’s Football Podcast.
"But I like a challenge, I like having someone there pushing me, even if they take my spot, I believe I can get it back, it gives me that hunger and that drive. It makes me play better because I need to play well to stay in the team."
He added: "Obviously we have quite a few injuries at the back, we have lost Kurt [Zouma], Angelo [Ogbonna] Cress [Aaron Cresswell] is out with his back, so obviously we must be looking at centre-halves as well.
"But if one comes in, someone has to go out and that is a difficult thing in professional football, it might be one of your friends who is going out."
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