It’s looking like this West Ham team for Burnley on Saturday as David Moyes counts the cost of a ‘disastrous’ international break.
West Ham make the long trip to face Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday – a venue that has rarely been a happy hunting ground for the Hammers.
David Moyes would surely be hoping to change that with West Ham back on the coat tails of the European spots and Burnley rock bottom of the Premier League.
As always seems to be the way with West Ham, though, things are not quite that straightforward.
Having got away relatively scot-free in terms of incident or injury in the first two international breaks of the season, the third and final one of the year has been abysmal for the east Londoners.
Moyes counts cost of ‘disastrous’ break
Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus have all picked up injuries.
Antonio and Bowen look almost certain to miss the trip to Burnley with knee injuries.
Soucek should be available after avoiding any further blows to the head as he captained and scored in a 3-0 Czech Republic win over Moldova on Monday night.
Kudus, who had missed Ghana training with a back injury, was named on the bench against Comoros today and came on as a second half substitute. He now faces a long flight home.
It’s looking like this team for Burnley
Edson Alvarez plays Honduras with Mexico overnight, Nayef Aguerd is starting for Morocco and Konstantinos Mavropanos is also in action against France.
It means some of West Ham’s players won’t return to Rush Green until late Thursday, leaving Moyes and his staff seriously sweating over the side and squad to face the Clarets.
It’s looking like this West Ham team for Burnley as Moyes counts the cost of a ‘disastrous’ international break.
Hammers News has spoken to the top source inside West Ham for clarification on the injury situation. And he has admitted the international break has been a “disaster” for the Hammers.
Paqueta cold be used in forward role
Based on what we know at the time of writing, here’s how we think Moyes will line up for Burnley, where a win could lift West Ham up to eighth.
We believe Moyes may use Lucas Paqueta in a more advanced forward role as he has done in Europe on occasion.
Or the Scot will at least play a more fluid front three where Paqueta, Said Benrahma and Kudus rotate.
Should Kudus suffer a reaction to his back strain – either by playing or as a result of his flight home – then expect Danny Ings, Divin Mubama or Maxwel Cornet to play up top instead.
Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Benrahma, Kudus, Paqueta.
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