West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini could try an exciting experiment against Fulham on Friday night.
The Hammers take on the cottagers at the London Stadium in the opening game of the weekend as the Premier League resumes.
West Ham have not won for five games but have earned respectable draws in their last two games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
Hammers could go three points off seventh
That leaves the East Londoners in 10th place knowing they could move up to ninth and just three points off seventh with a victory.
Manuel Pellegrini has been nursing a league-worst injury list.
But things look to be improving ahead of the visit of the lowly Cottagers.
West Ham will be boosted by the return of key players from long-term injury for the game.
Manuel Lanzini, Samir Nasri and Fabian Balbuena look set to come back into the squad.
Pellegrini’s playmaker problems
The Chilean tactician has long bemoaned the glut of injuries affecting his playmakers.
Lanzini has missed the entire season so far while Andriy Yarmolenko was injured for the season. Jack Wilshere has missed most of the campaign and could be out for the remainder too.
It is exciting times for Pellegrini and Hammers fans having Lanzini and Nasri back.
Neither can manage a full 90 minutes of Premier League action just yet.
Exciting experiment on the cards?
So Pellegrini could experiment by giving each playmaker 45 minutes or as near as damn it.
Having been involved recently before a calf injury, Nasri will likely start the game.
Pellegrini can then introduce Lanzini for the second half, whether that is at half-time or on the hour.
That will be a daunting prospect for the Premier League’s worst ever defence.
And it seems a sound plan for the rest of the season so as not to over burden Lanzini and bring him back slowly but surely to his best.
Nasri will also get the game time to continue to prove he has what it takes to earn an expected one-year contract for next term.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
