West Ham manager Grant to miss match at Stoke due to clash with Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur

Grant to miss West Ham match due to Yom Kippur

LONDON — West Ham manager Avram Grant will be absent from Saturday’s Premier League match against Stoke because it falls on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. West Ham’s match is due to kick off at 12:45 p.m. (7:45 a.m. EDT).

The last-place London club, which features American defender Jonathan Spector, is 0-4 this season.

West Ham said Wednesday that Grant, who is from Israel, will be missing “out of respect for the traditions, heritage and religious obligations of the Jewish holy day.”