David Moyes looks set to make five West Ham changes for Arsenal but injuries put his planned line-up in doubt.
What’s the old saying about best laid plans?
Robert Burns once said ‘The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry’ and it seems particularly apt for West Ham and David Moyes right now.
Floating along riding the crest of a wave of their European glory, the Hammers made an excellent start to the season in all competitions.
Moyes once again appeared to be getting the balance between Europe and the Premier League just right with his team selections.
And everything was rosy in the West Ham garden.
Predicted: David Moyes makes five West Ham changes for Arsenal but injuries put planned line-up in doubt
Then, in the space of seven days, dark clouds are once again hovering on the horizon following three defeats on the bounce.
West Ham have had no real injury issues thus far and the dip in performance levels and results shows no matter how carefully you try to plan, things can still go wrong. And fast.
So what to do about the team for the Gunners as the London rivals do battle for a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
We predict Moyes makes five West Ham changes for Arsenal but injuries put planned line-up in doubt.
It’s a tough one to call tonight in terms of the starting XI Moyes fields for Declan Rice’s return to the London Stadium.
Kudus or Bowen up front if fit?
Not least because Moyes has revealed he has ‘one or two’ mystery injury doubts for the game.
That has put his planned line-up for the game in doubt. And made our job of predicting it all the more difficult.
But here’s the side we think West Ham will be putting out against Arsenal with the obvious caveat that the injured players are, at this stage, unknown.
Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez – if not injured – should start given they are suspended for the Premier League game at the weekend.
We think Lukasz Fabianski, Thilo Kehrer, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Emerson and Tomas Soucek will come back into the team to face the Gunners.
And we think either Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus – if fit – could start up front.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Arsenal:
Fabianski, Kehrer, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Emerson, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen.
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