West Ham will welcome Kurt Zouma back for Thursday’s clash against Tottenham after his ‘terrible’ burglary ordeal that saw an armed gang ‘break into the defender’s £3m home and steal £100k worth of cash and jewellery’

David Moyes is ready to welcome West Ham captain Kurt Zouma back for Thursday’s clash with Tottenham following a burglary at the defender’s home last weekend.

Thieves broke into Zouma’s house while the centre-back and his family were inside, taking expensive items as well as possessions with sentimental value.

The 29-year-old subsequently missed West Ham’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace citing personal reasons, with the club offering a £25,000 fee for information leading to the arrest of those involved.

Zouma is now set to return at the heart of the defence in time to face Spurs, with Moyes telling a press conference: ‘We are happy to have him back.

‘He has been fine. It’s been a terrible situation for him and the club has supported him really well. He’s our captain and we are fully behind him.

‘No one would want that to happen to themselves. A reward has been put up and hopefully the police will get the people responsible for it.’

Tottenham have been one of the most entertaining sides in England this season, spreading their attacking wings under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian has already become a firm favourite with fans for his commitment to entertaining football but a run of four games without a win, including a thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City on Sunday, has dragged them out of the top four.

Postecoglou’s impact has taken some by surprise in a job that confounded big name appointments like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but Moyes expected him to make his presence felt.

As a proud Scot, Moyes felt his previous managerial job north of the border provided all the grounding he needed to thrive.

‘He’s done remarkable. Tottenham are a really good side and he’s made a big difference to how they play, the crowd and the atmosphere,’ Moyes said.

‘But I am a bit surprised everyone else was surprised after what he did at Celtic, where the pressure is enormous and he coped and dealt with it. Tottenham are as a good as any side in the Premier League at the moment.’

Both managers had to cope with the departure of key players and on field leaders in the summer, West Ham losing Declan Rice to Arsenal while Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich, but in each case they have found others willing to stand taller and help fill the gap.

Jarrod Bowen has grown in stature after being given greater responsibility and Moyes has witnessed a similar effect from the Spurs attackers.

‘It’s good when you get someone to step up and Jarrod has since we lost Declan, as have others,’ he said.

‘Spurs would say the same, that Son (Heung-min) and (Dejan) Kulusevski and others have stepped up since Harry Kane left.’

West Ham continue to be without striker Michail Antonio, who is working his way back from a knee injury.