If West Ham’s season had progressed as expected, Winston Reid would probably still be in east London.



A series of injuries — some brutal, others more minor — had kept the center back out of Premier League action since 2018. But, prior to manager Manuel Pellegrini’s dismissal in late December 2019, he had planned for Reid to get first-team minutes. After nearly two years on the shelf, he was about to get a run of games.



The club’s decision to axe Pellegrini and rehire David Moyes changed all that. With Pellegrini gone, so was the plan to re-introduce Reid to London Stadium. Moyes put the New Zealand international in the 18-man squad for West Ham’s FA Cup win at League One side Gillingham on January 5, but he didn’t play in the match. A week later, Reid and Moyes sat down for an “honest,” positive talk about the player’s future.



The 31-year-old had previously played nine league...