SLOWY the truth emerges over those [West Ham’](https://www.claretandhugh.info/hes-going-for-glory-west-ham-vs-leeds-united-preview-predicted-score-line-ups/)s players who were absent from the squad against Leeds United. The Hammers fielded a heavily rotated starting XI in yesterday’s FA Cup quarter final after the latest international break, with several key stars absent, mostly through injury or recovery.
Most **certainly neither** was the reason for last season’s Hammer of the Year **Aaron Wan Bissaka’**s absence for the club’s biggest game in years.
The right back, now representing the Democratic Republic of Congo, apparently remained ‘absent’ from his domestic club after the Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi organised a celebration for the returning players on Sunday, the day of West Ham’s quarter final: DR Congo have just qualified for their first World Cup in some 52 years.
You could almost say Wan Bissaka’s ‘cover has been blown’, according to [theirishsun.co.uk:](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/38736513/aaron-wan-bissaka-west-ham-world-cup-fa-congo/)
“West Ham star spotted on open-top bus at World Cup parade just hours before missing FA Cup defeat to Leeds
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_“Aaron Wan-Bissaka had other priorities as his team lost to Leeds on penalties in the FA Cup yesterday…_
_There is no evidence of a public rift between the club and the player.”_
However further reports today claim West Ham are _‘furious’_ with the DR Congo FA and have launched an official complaint to FIFA demanding compensation for the unauthorised absence of their star defender:
“_West Ham will file a complaint and compensation claim with FIFA after the president of the African nation held a celebration for World Cup qualification and did not authorise the player to leave the country and return to east London._
_“The Congolese Football Federation reportedly decided to block all players leaving until Monday_.”_(Hammers.news)_
The clear inference is that **Wan Bissaka** will be back at West Ham well in time for Friday’s crucial clash against Wolves: It remains to be seen whether there will be any reaction from the club, the management regarding future disciplinary action or indeed what the reaction will be from his dressing room colleagues.