West Ham United have confirmed a player will miss Freiburg and it gives David Moyes an unwelcome Europa League dilemma.
West Ham are gearing up to take on Bundesliga side Freiburg in their second Europa League group game on Thursday evening.
The Hammers top Group A after beating Serbian side FK TSC Backa Topola 3-1 in the opener while Freiburg beat Olympiacos 3-2 away.
West Ham head to Germany with no Hammers fans permitted to follow them after being banned by UEFA for the match.
As we reported here on Hammers News, a cauldron, awful pitch and top team which bears many similarities to West Ham awaits David Moyes and his players.
West Ham confirm player will miss Freiburg and it gives David Moyes an unwelcome dilemma
We also warned Moyes will have to field a very strong team if he wants to come away from the 35k capacity Europa-Park stadium with a positive result.
The Scot has traditionally made sweeping changes for European group games in recent seasons to spread game time out amongst his squad.
But West Ham are in a tough group and will have to field key players if they are to make the last 16.
To that end Moyes faces something of a problem despite having a near fully fit squad.
Because West Ham have confirmed a player will miss Freiburg and it gives Moyes an unwelcome dilemma.
Cresswell ruled out of Germany trip
In West Ham’s preview for the match on its official website, the club has stated left-back Aaron Cresswell remains out with an injury.
Second choice left-back Cresswell picked up the injury when he lasted just one half after starting in the first Europa League group game against TSC Backa Topola two weeks ago.
“Aaron Cresswell remains the only absentee, having missed the last couple of games due to a hamstring injury,” the site reports.
It presents the manager with a problem.
Big risk either way against tough opposition
Does he risk playing West Ham’s first choice left-back Emerson Palmieri?
Or does he rest Emerson and play Ben Johnson at left-back – which in itself is a risk given the player’s failure to produce performances of the required standard for some time.
Johnson was said to have played well at left-back in the Carabao Cup win over Lincoln last week. But that was against a side sitting midtable in League One.
You can’t wrap players in cotton wool but Emerson has become crucial for West Ham with his lung-busting displays down the left.
It would be a major issue were he not to be available for Premier League games.
These are the big calls Moyes is paid to make. And he has got most of them right when juggling West Ham’s domestic and European fixtures over the last three seasons.
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