EXCLUSIVE: The truth from the top on West Ham star Jarrod Bowen after the Mail’s devastating claim ahead of the second leg with Bayer Leverkusen.
As far as having a mountain to climb goes it’s not quite Everest but it’s not far off for West Ham this Thursday night.
The Hammers have it all to do when they take on the newly-crowned German champions in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
West Ham will be hoping that Leverkusen have a hangover from celebrating their first ever Bundesliga title.
David Moyes’ side know they have to somehow claw their way back into the tie at 2-0 down from the first leg.
West Ham know they must score two unanswered goals to take the tie to extra-time at the London Stadium.
But they will have to do so without suspended duo Lucas Paqueta and Emerson Palmieri.
And possibly injury doubts Jarrod Bowen and Konstantinos Mavropanos too.
Note the key word ‘possibly’.
West Ham have it all to do against Leverkusen
Having Bowen fit is clearly crucial to any West Ham hopes of completing a monumental turnaround and making a third successive European semi-final.
Bowen makes the Hammers tick with his goals, assists, tireless running and desire.
His absence hit West Ham hard in the first leg and another 2-0 defeat at the weekend, this time in the Premier League at home to Fulham.
If Bowen is fit then he – alongside Mohammed Kudus – give West Ham hope.
With a raucous Hammers crowd, a decent set of officials and a bit of luck, coming back from 2-0 down is not insurmountable. And only four clubs have more points coming from behind than the Hammers in the Premier League this season.
Truth from the top on Bowen after Mail’s claim
Fans were left gutted earlier today, though, when Daily Mail journalist Kathryn Batte stated Bowen is out of Thursday’s clash too.
“Mail Sport understands Bowen will not be fit for the second leg at the London Stadium, with the forward needing more time to recover from the back injury he sustained at Wolves,” she states.
So we reached out to the most senior source inside the club about our top scorer’s fitness.
Here’s the truth from the top on Bowen after the Mail’s devastating claim ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.
And it at least gives us all some hope ahead of the crunch clash.
The key contact close to the club’s owners told Hammers News that the club are keeping Bowen’s availability a closely guarded secret until the game.
‘Time will tell’ says key Hammers source
“Time will tell,” the top source told Hammers News.
“We do not want our opponents to know who is and who is not available for the game.”
So there you have it.
Bowen is out as things stand.
And the club are keeping that situation under wraps in a bid to keep Xabi Alonso guessing.
Some cynical fans would argue that it doesn’t matter whether Bowen plays or not given the gulf between the two sides.
But if Leverkusen are slightly off their game and West Ham can produce their performance of the season then who knows what might be possible.
Meanwhile the manager has made it perfectly clear what he expects from his players and the West Ham fans for the second leg.