Will he or won’t he? West Ham and Sebastien Haller have been playing a game of chicken with a nagging hip/groin injury but its finally time for the Frenchman’s return!
If anyone has had a hip or groin injury in their lifetime you know exactly how frustrating rehabbing them can be. A wrong step, sleeping the wrong way, or quick motion in any direction and days or weeks of progress can be erased. Now, imagine the hopes of millions of Hammers fans resting on your shoulders too and the mental pressure mounts on the physical stress.
With all that being said, Haller was back and training at the London Stadium today and I think we’ll get to see him injected in the first team. Will he be a start? Hard to say right now, but if he’s fit enough to feature I’d reckon that Moyes will throw him in the starting team to assertively grab a hold of his team’s survival.
So, as uncertain as it may be, here is West Ham’s predicted XI to face Burnley:
Fabianski
Fredericks – Diop – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Rice – Soucek
Bowen – Fornals – Antonio
Haller
Bench: Randolph, Balbuena, Masuaku, Wilshere, Noble, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Ajeti, Silva
I originally typed out Balbuena over Diop and Masuaku over Cresswell but had to erase them and write in the now chosen options because this isn’t the ‘who do you think should start’ but rather the ‘predicted team Moyes will use’ article.
Diop is so inconsistent right now but it is very clear Balbuena is lower in the trust rankings despite a strong showing against Spurs. Likewise, Moyes doesn’t seem too thrilled with using Masuaku even with Cresswell’s poor form. Having Masuaku back and an option off the bench, though, could be the move for the substitution wizard Moyes is proving to be.
I do think this game will be won or lost up the middle of the pitch, and with Rice and Soucek on terrific form on both ends of the pitch, it’s the Hammers’ match to lose. Mix in Fornals in an advanced #10 role and the physicality is there to support the finesse and playmaking abilities in that midfield trio.
Haller’s return to the striker position shifts Antonio out to the left side, strategically so. Phil Bardsley will be starting at right-back and Antonio can absolutely skin him down the wing with ease to create offensive chances for Bowen, Fornals and Haller. Likewise, Antonio is defensively responsible and can bail out Cresswell better than Fornals or Lanzini proved they can.
This is the most likely to be selected team that we see assembled for this match. The core of it is ultimately unchanged, but Lanzini has been sacrificed after back-to-back lacklustre performances for Haller’s return. I hope we see a positive team like this picked because the simple and obvious options are going to be what carries this team to success.