UEFA has predicted that David Moyes will make a huge double West Ham selection decision for the Eintracht Frankfurt clash.
The countdown is for the huge Europa League semi-final against German outfit Frankfurt.
One of the biggest ties in West Ham’s history kicks off with the first leg at the London Stadium on Thursday night.
West Ham saw off Lyon in the quarter-finals while Frankfurt beat Barcelona to set up a repeat of the European Cup Winners Cup semi-final of 1976.
West Ham fans and David Moyes will be well aware of the threat posed by Oliver Glasner’s Frankfurt side given some of the opposition they have beaten so far.
Frankfurt – ninth in the Bundesliga – warmed up for first leg against West Ham with a 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim.
West Ham’s reserve team meanwhile were harshly beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the last minute of a valiant display at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Hammers have serious injury issues in defence ahead of the first leg with Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop both sidelined.
Frankfurt have their own defensive problems with star centre-back Evan Ndicka suspended for the first leg at West Ham.
Moyes deployed a back five against Chelsea with Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell operating as right and left centre-backs either side of Craig Dawson.
Ahead of the Chelsea game Moyes had suggested he may have to use Declan Rice in his original position given West Ham’s defensive crisis. The Hammers talisman was rested and came on in the second half.
But when Dawson was sent off late on Rice dropped back into central defence.
Now in its official Europa League semi-final preview, UEFA predict Moyes will make a huge double West Ham selection decision for Eintracht Frankfurt.
UEFA predict David Moyes will make huge double West Ham selection decision for Eintracht Frankfurt
UEFA has named West Ham’s likely team to face the Bundesliga outfit.
And experts at European football’s governing body reckon Moyes will elect to play Rice in central defence on Thursday night and captain Mark Noble in midfield.
“West Ham: Areola; Johnson, Dawson, Rice, Cresswell; Souček, Noble; Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals; Antonio,” UEFA has posted as Moyes’s likely starting XI to play Glasner’s side.
“The biggest game in West Ham’s recent history is an incredibly tight one to call,” UEFA West Ham reporter Matthew Howarth reports.
“It would be a grave mistake to underestimate Frankfurt, who tend to save their best performances for the European stage and could have won by a more comfortable margin at Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg. The Bundesliga side are a tough nut to crack, but the Hammers will be confident of establishing a first-leg lead to take to Germany next week.”
Noble was fantastic against Chelsea. And it came as something of a surprise when he was withdrawn for Rice in the second half.
Perhaps that move in itself was a huge indication from Moyes over his selection for Thursday night.
MORE WEST HAM NEWS
West Ham in new link to £30m Everton man but Moyes should run a mile.
Merson makes two hugely bold claims about West Ham and Rice.
West Ham have bigger summer budget than Newcastle and Erik Ten Hag.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
