Doubts have been raised over a West Ham fixture arranged for the World Cup break after a twist at Cambridge United.
As fans know only too well West Ham are enduring a difficult season in the Premier League, going into the World Cup break off the back of three home defeats in six days, sitting just above the relegation zone and with a manager under pressure.
But it says a lot about West Ham’s progress under David Moyes in the last few years that they now have a squad filled with international players.
Declan Rice, Thilo Kehrer, Lucas Paqueta, Alphonse Areola and Nayef Aguerd are all heading out to Qatar to represent their countries on the world’s biggest stage.
The rest of West Ham’s players and international will be remaining at Rush Green following a short holiday break.
The likes of Pablo Fornals, Maxwel Cornet, Kurt Zouma and Said Benrahma won’t be going.
Spain have snubbed West Ham’s Cockney Carzola, France have frozen out Zouma and both Ivory Coast and Algeria failed to qualify.
Italy trio Gianluca Scamacca, Emerson Palmieri and Angelo Ogbonna won’t be there because the Azzurri did not qualify either.
It is the same story for Jamaica striker Michail Antonio and Czech duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.
A sizeable contingent left behind in east London. But there is no precedent for a World Cup in the middle of the season. So West Ham and the other 19 Premier League clubs are entering uncharted waters.
Hammers boss Moyes recently revealed West Ham have friendlies planned for World Cup break.
The Scot told talkSPORT that the club have some friendly matches in the pipeline for the break which lasts for six weeks between November 14th and Boxing Day.
“Yea we have (got a fair few who will be remaining here and not going to the World Cup),” Moyes said on talkSPORT Breakfast.
“And it will mean that it will be a decision of how we’re doing, what sort of games we’re going to have to play.
“We’ve sort of got a couple of friendlies half prepared at the moment for when we do have the break.”
One of those is against fellow London rivals Fulham.
Another confirmed match is against Cambridge United.
The Hammers first team squad left behind during the World Cup break were set to head to EFL League One side Cambridge United for a mid-season friendly match on Tuesday 6 December.
“David Moyes will take his team to the Abbey Stadium for the 7pm kick-off – a Testimonial for long-serving U’s captain and Hammers fan Greg Taylor,” the club states on whufc.com.
“The trip to Cambridge promises to give the Hammers a strong test two weeks before the 2022/23 Premier League campaign resumes following the break for the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar.”
But doubts have been raised over the West Ham fixture arranged for the World Cup break after a twist at Cambridge.
West Ham’s meeting with the U’s could yet be postponed due to the FA Cup.
Cambridge won their FA Cup first round replay against non-league side Curzon Ashton on penalties last night.
That means West Ham’s scheduled opponents will now face League Two Grimsby Town in the FA Cup second round on Saturday November 26th.
Should Cambridge draw that game, a replay will likely be scheduled for the week of the Hammers clash, which promises to be lucrative for the hosts with a sell-out crowd expected.
Particularly given the fact it is a testimonial and West Ham fans, who will have been starved of club action, are able to enjoy a rare game with no pressure riding on it.
All eyes will be on the outcome of Cambridge’s FA Cup game on the 26th as to whether the West Ham fixture goes ahead.
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