David Moyes looks set to make 10 West Ham changes as three youngsters start for the Hammers at FCSB.
West Ham have secured last 16 European football for the second consecutive season following the win over Silkeborg last week.
The Hammers have a perfect record of five wins from five matches in the Conference League group stages this season.
And it is seven wins from seven including the qualifier against Viborg before that.
The Hammers now have a dead rubber clash in Romania against FCSB to conclude the group stage.
As a result Moyes has the luxury of resting all his key first team stars against FCSB.
The Scot has confirmed there will be a host of West Ham academy stars in his squad for the game.
But Moyes did also say only a couple of those youngsters will actually start.
“We’re not full of young players but there are a couple of young players that are going to start tomorrow night,” Moyes said in his pre-FCSB presser.
Predicted: David Moyes makes 10 West Ham changes as three youngsters start at FCSB
“We’re going to give them an opportunity, and maybe some of the others will get an opportunity as well, because in some of the other games we weren’t able to do so.”
It is a big chance for those players and depending on how the match pans out, more could earn European match action as subs in the second half.
We predict Moyes makes 10 West Ham changes as three youngsters start at FCSB.
Alphonse Areola has travelled with the West Ham squad to Romania. But given Lukasz Fabianski is nursing a knee injury after his awkward landing at Old Trafford – which saw him replaced by Areola – we do not think the Frenchman will be risked.
So it looks set to be a rare match for third-choice ‘keeper Darren Randolph in change number one from the team which started at Man United.
There will be four changes at the back with Vladimir Coufal, Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd and Ben Johnson in a back four.
Ahead of Coufal we believe highly-rated Harrison Ashby comes in as change number six and may be used as a right-winger as it gives Moyes flexibility to drop into a back five if needed.
Conor Coventry, Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini are changes seven, eight and nine playing alongside the only player to keep his place from Old Trafford – Flynn Downes.
And up top change number 10 will see powerful and exciting young striker Divin Mubama given a chance to lead the line.
Predicting the starting XI is akin to herding cats this week but given Moyes’ comments that only a couple of youngsters will start, this is the side we expect to see over in Romania.
Predicted West Ham starting XI:
Randolph, Coufal, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Johnson, Ashby, Coventry, Downes, Fornals, Lanzini, Mubama.
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