West Ham manager David Moyes says he is surprised by France head coach Didier Deschamps’s decision to drop Kurt Zouma from the international setup.

The centre-back was signed from Chelsea back in August, and when asked whether a ‘big club bias’ had influenced Deschamps’ thinking, Moyes replied:

“I would hope not. We are trying to challenge the top teams because I want to be right there at the top and those players can show they are good enough to play for the international teams. Kurt has played really really well for us He’s been a colossus in the games he has played so his form will not go unnoticed.”

“I think it is a Nations League game so maybe that is a reason for it. Maybe it is the quality of the centre-halves France have got. When I signed him I knew we were taking a French international centre-half [and they] have an incredible quality of centre-halves and he has not disappointed us from what we have seen so far.”

Considering Zouma is getting more game time at West Ham than he was at Stamford Bridge, you would think it would increase his chances of being selected by his national team. The decision to drop the 26-year-old is rather strange in that regard.

Perhaps Moyes is right to presume that the Nations League games have had a bearing on Deschamps’s selection, giving him the opportunity to try some different options.

Whatever the case may be, it does mean that Zouma will have a two-week rest over the international break so he should be fit and raring to go when the Irons face Everton on Sunday week.