West Ham had a setback before the game against Aston Villa on Sunday, as Jean-Clair Todibo suffered an injury in the warm-up.
The Frenchman had to be removed from the starting line-up and Nuno Espirito Santo replaced him with Freddie Potts.
This scuppered Nuno’s plans to play with five defenders, with Potts forming a three-man midfield alongside Tomas Soucek and Mateus Fernandes instead.
Fellow central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has now opened up on the impact of Todibo’s absence.
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Dinos Mavropanos admits Jean-Clair Todibo injury was ‘frustrating’
Mavropanos admitted to whufc.com that Todibo’s withdrawal from the starting XI was a “big moment” in the contest.
It completely changed the Hammers’ plans to nullify Aston Villa’s attacking threat, but the players must still not use it as an excuse.
Nuno has often picked only four defenders, including in the 1-0 victory over Fulham, so it was not a new idea for the players.
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“It was a big moment for JC (Jean-Clair Todibo), but at the same time, we have been working with four at the back in the last couple of weeks as well,” Mavropanos explained.
“It was a little bit frustrating because we were planning the game with three [central defenders], but on the other side, I think we have played really good teams before with four at the back.”
Nobody would deny that the situation was “frustrating”, but the players’ response fell very short of expectations.
A very underwhelming Villa Park defeat! 🙄
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Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United runs with the ball under pressure from Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and West Ham United at Villa Park on March 22, 2026 in Birmingham, England.
Jarrod Bowen refuses to blame Jean-Clair Todibo injury for defeat
Club captain Jarrod Bowen has also discussed Todibo’s pre-match injury, which made the Villa game even more difficult.
Like Mavropanos, he described the setback as “a blow” to the team, but did not blame it for the lacklustre performance.
“Yes, it was a blow, but you don’t want to look at it as an excuse and blame that for the result or the performance,” Bowen said.
“I think the good thing about this group, and I spoke here when we’ve won games, is the spirit of the group and everyone champing at the bit and ready to have the opportunity. Everyone’s ready to come in whenever it is.”
Unfortunately, while Potts might have been “ready” to step into the team, he did not have a significant impact on the game
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