West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that neither Jean-Clair Todibo nor James Ward-Prowse missed the 1-1 draw against Everton due to injury.

Both players were absent from the matchday squad for the trip to Merseyside, and asked about their omission following the match on Monday night, Nuno replied:

“We arrived three days ago, we had to make a squad list. Players understand because I am direct and honest and I explained to them.”

Todibo was only signed from Nice on a permanent basis in the summer for £34m, while Ward-Prowse has been at the club since joining from Southampton for £30m in August 2023.

Todibo’s behaviour has been called into question

The Frenchman has not played since the 3-2 defeat to Wolves in the Carabao Cup last month. A subsequent report by The Athletic reporter Roshane Thomas has shed some light on the player’s conduct.

Former manager Graham Potter called Todibo into his office to remonstrate with him about his poor performance in training. He responded by turning up late the next day.

Nuno has clearly been informed about what happened and, as things stand, it doesn’t look like he will get a clean slate under the new regime.

The new West Ham head coach is not a fan of Ward-Prowse

The midfielder had a loan spell at Nottingham Forest when Nuno was still manager of the Midlands club in the first half of last season.

However, Ward-Prowse quickly fell out of favour, making just six starts in total before being sent back to the London Stadium in January, six months earlier than planned.

Based on the fact that both Freddie Potts and Andy Irving were named on the bench against Everton, it appears Ward-Prowse is now well down the pecking order. It would be a surprise if either the 30-year-old or Todibo are selected to play versus Arsenal this weekend.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here