West Ham attacker Jarrod Bowen could still return after the international break, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Reports emerged on Monday morning that the Hammers forward might be facing a number of weeks on the sidelines and could be in danger of missing the Europa League games against Lyon next month.

What's the latest news involving Bowen?

West Ham's top goalscorer has missed the last four games with a foot injury sustained against Liverpool earlier this month, although the club were optimistic that Bowen hadn't suffered any significant damage.

However, The Athletic believe that Bowen's injury is worse than first feared, which means he's now in a race to be fit to face the Ligue 1 outfit, with the games taking place at the London Stadium on 7 April before the Hammers travel to France the following week.

Should Bowen remain sidelined for the European ties, he could also sit out the Premier League games against Everton and Brentford next month, which might both prove key in West Ham's fight to secure a top six finish.

However, Jones remains optimistic that Bowen could be fit after the international break.

What did Jones say about Bowen?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "From what I'm told, there's still some optimism that he could be back after the international break.

"The break has come at a good time for everybody and there's no rush to get him back right now.

"They will look at it at the back end of the international break, but there's some hope that he could be on the road to recovery when the Premier League gets underway again."

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal: Full reaction on The Football Terrace

How have West Ham performed without Bowen?

West Ham have had a mixed spell without their talisman in the side, although it's generally been a productive period since he pulled up at Anfield.

They lost the first leg against Sevilla but managed to win the second leg 2-0 to ensure they advanced to the quarter finals and set up the date with Lyon.

Domestically, the Hammers edged past Aston Villa last weekend, but put in one of their worst performances of the season to lose 3-1 at Tottenham on Sunday, although given it came less than 72 hours after the Sevilla game, it was half expected.

It's already proven a challenging time since Bowen got injured, but if the likes of Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio step up, West Ham should be able to cope in his absence.