WEST HAM’S Europa Conference League opponents Viborg will be without two players for their first leg clash due to post-Brexit rules.
The Danish side have confirmed that Nigerian Ibrahim Said and Gambian Alassana Jatta have been unable to obtain visas in time for the match.
Both were likely to feature in the match, with Said in particular a regular starter for Viborg.
A club statement read: “We are extremely sorry that we have not been able to get visas for the two players.
“We have tried everything, and have been in close contact with DBU [Danish Football Association], Uefa, the two embassies and another foreign club which has been in a similar situation.
“But unfortunately this has proved to be impossible, as there is a processing time of several weeks and the match was only finally decided a week ago.”
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
Viborg’s sporting director Esper Fredberg added: “It is very unfortunate purely sportingly, as both players would have had a role in the match, but even more unfortunate purely humanly, that the two miss out on the great experience.”
Said, 20, and Jatta, 23, will not be able to play in London on Thursday night, but will be available for the second leg in Denmark next week.
The two sides meet with a place in the Europa Conference League group stage on the line.
Viborg have already beaten Lithuanian outfit Suduva and Faroese club B36 to reach this stage.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Like the Hammers, they finish seventh in their division last term.
West Ham go into the match having just completed their sixth summer signing.
David Moyes’ side announced the £10million acquisition of Thilo Kehrer from Paris Saint-Germain this afternoon.
Kehrer, 25, joins Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Flynn Downes in signing for the Hammers this summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
