West Ham United entertain Sheffield United at the London Stadium on Monday evening.
Noble lifts lid on what he has told his West Ham teammates ahead of Sheffield United
Once again results went in West Ham’s favour over the weekend.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton lost while Manchester United and Aston Villa could only manage draws against West Brom and Brighton respectively.
Fourth place carrot dangles for West Ham
And that means West Ham can reclaim fourth spot with a win over basement boys Sheffield United in the 6pm kick-off.
That won’t be easy given the vast improvement from Chris Wilder’s side of late and West Ham’s injury issues.
Moyes will definitely be without Angelo Ogbonna and Andriy Yarmolenko due to injury.
Both players started the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United last time out.
So Moyes will have to make two enforced changes straight off the bat.
Injuries force two changes for Moyes but Hammers boss looks set to make four
And he looks set to make another two – possibly more – as he ponders a switch in system.
Moyes had suggested Michail Antonio would be ok for the game (whufc.com).
But he now looks a doubt and faces a late fitness test. That’s according to an update from West Ham insider ExWHUemployee who claims the forward ‘felt his hamstrings’ in training in the build-up to the game.
Given he is West Ham’s only senior striker Moyes will not take any risks.
So it is safe to assume Antonio will not be in the starting line-up.
If Moyes sticks to four at the back then Ogbonna will be replaced by Issa Diop while Yarmolenko will be replaced in the false nine role by Jesse Lingard.
Lingard as false nine as Moyes ponders whether to go four or five at the back
Said Benrahma will come back into the side in place of Mark Noble.
He will play on the left with Pablo Fornals moving to a more central role.
Should Moyes elect to match up against the Blades, West Ham will play wingbacks.
And that would see Ben Johnson come in for Noble to play left wing back – where he excelled against Man United.
Benrahma would come in for Fornals, Lingard for Yarmolenko and Diop for Ogbonna.
The confirmed team sheets will be out at 5pm – one hour before kick-off.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Sheffield United based on back four:
Fabianski, Cresswell, Dawson, Diop, Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Benrahma, Fornals, Bowen, Lingard.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Sheffield United based on back four:
Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Dawson, Diop, Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Benrahma, Bowen, Lingard.
West Ham boss David Moyes has made a Maja mistake
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