David Moyes has defended his decision to start Kurt Zouma for West Ham against Watford after footage emerged of the Frenchman attacking his cat.
Despite the club not condoning his actions, West Ham manager Moyes named Zouma in his starting XI to face Watford, less than 24 hours after the footage emerged, saying that he is one of the club’s "better players".
Videos originally posted on Snapchat, and later published by The Sun, showed the defender drop-kicking, throwing shoes at and then brutally slapping his pet Bengal.
Zouma has since apologised but has been condemned by the club, sternly criticised by charities and is now the subject of a joint investigation by Essex Police and the RSPCA.
The France international will face an internal disciplinary hearing at West Ham, while his kit provider, adidas, are also investigating the incident.
Asked if the social media footage influenced his selection, Moyes told BT Sport: "No, because he is one of our better players. But it is certainly ongoing and the club are dealing with it, so that is a separate matter."
Moyes is without regular central defender Angelo Ogbonna through injury but named Issa Diop, who covered for Zouma while he himself was injured, on the bench.
