West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has calmed fears that captain Jarrod Bowen missed the FA Cup tie against Burton Albion due to injury.

The forward didn’t even make the matchday squad for the game on Saturday afternoon, leaving some to question whether he was left out due to fitness reasons.

However, when asked about Bowen’s absence following the 1-0 win, Nuno allayed any concerns by confirming that the 29-year-old was given a rest:

“No [he wasn’t injured]. Jarrod needed this break. Jarrod and the players that stay at home, doing treatment and recovery, getting ready for the fight that we have ahead of us.”

Bowen has been a key player for the Hammers

Keeping the captain fit is absolutely crucial to the London club’s chances of surviving the drop, so it is not a surprise that Nuno chose to protect him in a game that wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things.

If Bowen had featured and picked up an injury, Nuno would have been heavily criticised. As it is, he had his feet up at home, meaning he will have had a 10-day break between the draw against Manchester United and the home fixture versus Bournemouth this weekend.

Latest West Ham injury news

Nuno has confirmed that Pablo is unlikely to be available for a while. The Portuguese forward last featured as a substitute during the 2-0 win over Burnley, but he has not made the matchday squad for the last two games against Man United and Burton.

There have been rumours that the 22-year-old could be in danger of missing the rest of the season, but Hammers News have estimated a six-week layoff, meaning he could return at the beginning of April.

Lukasz Fabianski is the only other absentee in the first-team squad. The Polish veteran is said to be suffering with a back problem.

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