West Ham United have been handed a boost ahead of the Premier League's resumption next weekend, as Vladimir Coufal is now expected to be fit for the visit of relegation rivals Southampton.
Has Vladimir Coufal recovered from his injury?
The right-back has been out of action since picking up a heel injury in the 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest last month, missing each of the Hammers' last five fixtures.
It has been a big loss for Moyes as he has been forced to utilise either Ben Johnson or Thilo Kehrer in that position, and neither have impressed with their performances this season, ranking as the 12th and 16th-best performers in David Moyes' squad according to WhoScored.
Hammers fans will have been hoping that the former Slavia Prague man would use the international break to get back to full fitness, but he was a surprise inclusion in the Czech Republic squad and could feature in their upcoming games against Poland and Moldova.
Czech boss Jaroslav Silhavy has provided an update on the 30-year-old's situation, which will perhaps put upset West Ham fans at ease.
He told iDNES.cz: “Vlaďs had health problems with his heel, but at the moment he is doing everything to be ready for Friday.
“Our side is in daily contact with West Ham, we exchange information and we believe that Vlad will be ready for the match against Poland on Friday.”
Should Coufal come out unscathed, then there is no reason now why he won't be able to feature against Southampton in the six-pointer at the London Stadium next weekend.
While his performances have perhaps dropped from his first season at the club when he notched seven assists in just 34 Premier League appearances, he is still a reliable member of Moyes' squad, and his attitude is exactly what the Hammers need to get out of the mess they find themselves in.
Mark Noble testified this when speaking on the Peter Crouch Pod in 2021, referring to his former teammate as a "machine", which still holds true today, as he ranks third for both tackles and interceptions in the Hammers' squad, emphasising his willingness to put everything on the line defensively.
Considering Moyes' side failed to win any of their domestic fixtures without Coufal in the side, losing to Brighton and Manchester United and drawing with Aston Villa, the £35k-per-week defender's return could prove vital for the must-win game against Southampton this weekend.
Moyes knows that he can trust Coufal and it would not be a surprise to see him back in from the start against the Saints, providing he can avoid another injury issue with the Czech Republic this week.