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West Ham United: @ExWHUemployee explains Issa Diop’s squad absence

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West Ham United insider @ExWHUemployee has explained why Issa Diop was absent from the Hammers’ squad for their clash with Leeds United.

On Friday last week, the Irons travelled to Elland Road and defeated Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites 2-1 (per BBC).

However, one man that played no role in the victory for David Moyes’ side was Diop, as the French centre-back was not included in the Hammers’ matchday squad.

It was the third occasion in the Premier League this term in which the 23-year-old defender, who is valued at £22.5 million (as per Transfermarkt), has been left out of West Ham’s matchday squad.

During the latest episode of The West Ham Way Podcast, @ExWHUemployee explained why Diop did not make the cut against the Whites. (58:57)

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General view inside the London Stadium ahead of West Ham v Norwich City

Who did West Ham United face in their opening fixture of the 2020/21 Premier League season?

He said: “He just wasn’t selected. He travelled to Leeds, so, he was with the squad in the hotel but as did [Craig] Dawson and the manager decided that he’d rather get Dawson some experience of being with the first team.

“Dawson’s more vocal than Diop as well. [Moyes] thought, if he needed a centre-back to come on, he could have put [Ben] Johnson on and put [Aaron] Cresswell at centre-back.

“He obviously had [Declan] Rice that could play there as well. So, he only wanted either Dawson or Diop and he went to give Dawson a bit of experience of the first team.

“So, that was the reason. [A] bit of a risky move because, obviously, he could potentially upset Diop by doing something like that.

“[He’s] probably not feeling overly positive about his time at West Ham right now but, nonetheless, that’s what he chose to do.”

TIF Thoughts on what @ExWHUemployee said about Issa Diop…

As can be seen in what the in-the-know podcaster had to say, it seems that Moyes just wanted to give Dawson some experience in the first team, which came at the expense of Diop.

Which defender would you rather see included in West Ham squads?

Diop

Diop

Dawson

Dawson

So far this term, the Frenchman has made just three Premier League appearances for the Hammers, in which he has neither scored nor assisted (per WhoScored).

His performances in the outings have only earned Diop an unimpressive 6.27/10 average rating, making him the sixth-worst performer in West Ham’s squad.

So, it is clear to see why @ExWHUemployee suggested that the defender may not be “feeling overly positive” about his current situation at the London Stadium.

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