Worrying signs are emerging for West Ham after star player Aaron Wan-Bissaka was reported no-show in the wake of action taken by Graham Potter.
The absence comes hot on the heels of a shock move by Graham Potter, leaving supporters questioning what’s really going on behind the scenes at West Ham.
If it was not for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek, who knows where West Ham would be right now.
West Ham could only muster a hugely disappointing 14th place finish last term.
But the trio of Wan-Bissaka, Bowen and Soucek were not only standout performers for the Hammers, they were probably the difference between that 14th place finish and a genuine battle to stay up.
It was splitting hairs between Wan-Bissaka and Bowen for Hammer of the Year.
Alarm bells as Wan-Bissaka no-show sparks West Ham concern
Wan-Bissaka took the prestigious honour, though, as he wowed in his debut season following a bargain £15m move from Man United.
Hammers fans have been excited by the prospect of Wan-Bissaka one side and new boy El Hadji Malick Diouf the other this season.
Potter also brought in the experienced Kyle Walker-Peters in a savvy move to provide back-up on both sides.
However, that is not quite how things are playing out early doors in east London.
Wan-Bissaka, like most players in the West Ham team, endured a poor start to the season in games against Sunderland and Chelsea.
Against Chelsea, Wan-Bissaka was particularly poor, switching off for two of the goals.
He was by no means alone in that game, though, as West Ham were demolished 5-1 at the London Stadium.
It was a far cry from the 27-year-old’s performances of last season, where he was West Ham’s standout player alongside Bowen in most games.
When Wan-Bissaka was nowhere to be seen in the squad for the cup game against Wolves, eyebrows were raised.
Rumours started circulating he had been left at home by Potter as a result of his poor performance against Chelsea.
Potter’s Wan-Bissaka actions sparked Hammers rumours
That did not add up given others who were equally poor started at Molineux.
There was also speculation Wan-Bissaka may have had a row with Potter.
The Hammers boss batted away questions about Wan-Bissaka’s absence, claiming he had ‘felt something’ after Chelsea and Potter said he decided not to risk him.
Now alarm bells are ringing as a Wan-Bissaka no-show sparks West Ham concern after Potter’s actions.
Walker-Peters came in for Wan-Bissaka in the 3-2 defeat at Wolves, registering an assist and being among West Ham’s better players on the night.
Wan-Bissaka returned to the West Ham squad for the Nottingham Forest game but was named on the bench and remained an unused substitute as the Hammers picked up their first win of the season with a 3-0 triumph.
Walker-Peters shone again, looking solid at the back and capable going forward.
To go from being one of the first names on the team sheet to an unused sub is going to attract attention and rumours.
Conspiracy theories abound that Potter and the right-back are not seeing eye-to-eye.
Especially as Wan-Bissaka was so good last season, many were pushing for his inclusion in the England squad.
When Thomas Tuchel came in and became the latest England boss to snub Wan-Bissaka, he pledged his allegiance to DR Congo.
Wan-Bissaka received his first call-up for the June internationals but did not join up with the squad for those matches or the country’s August African Nations qualifiers.
The Hammers right-back has been called up again for Congo’s World Cup qualifiers against South Sudan and Senegal, where Wan-Bissaka would go directly up against West Ham teammate Diouf.
West Ham star Wan-Bissaka “fails to show” for DR Congo duty
Now DR Congo reporter Daniel Bawuna has claimed Wan-Bissaka has failed to show for the national team squad, two days into the camp ahead of the matches on Friday and Tuesday.
“On the second day of the Leopards’ gathering in Juba, South Sudan, Aaron Wan Bissaka, the Congolese defender playing for the English club West Ham, is still absent from the Congolese selection just days before the match against Sudan,” Bawuna claims.
It remains to be seen whether Wan-Bissaka does meet up with Congo for his first ever senior international cap after being snubbed by England.
His absence has added fuel to concerns over his current situation at West Ham.
The hope is that Wan-Bissaka is carrying a knock and Potter is simply trying to play it safe by leaving him out at Wolves and on the bench at Forest.
That may also explain why he has not met up with Congo too. Although being on the bench at Forest suggests he would have been fit enough to play.
The other big worries would be that there has indeed been a falling out, either personally or of Potter’s favour, or perhaps a more serious injury concern.
It would be churlish to suggest West Ham are better without Wan-Bissaka or don’t need him just because Walker-Peters put in a couple of decent performances.
Because make no mistake Wan-Bissaka is crucial to West Ham and Potter being successful this season.
Hopefully the Hammers, Congo or the player will provide some clarity soon.
