West Ham’s “Win The Cup” Predicted XI vs. Doncaster

West Ham United's English striker Jarrod Bowen . (Photo by GLYN KIRK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
West Ham United's English striker Jarrod Bowen . (Photo by GLYN KIRK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

West Ham are committed to pushing hard for a Cup win and this strong XI to face Doncaster could do just that and pave the way for a solid Cup run. Here’s how the Hammers are predicted to line up.

Injuries? Well, no Arthur Masuaku, no Mipo Odubeko, no Conor Coventry, and no Nathan Holland. Every one of these players is held out due to injury, except should-be-starting striker Odubeko. Some very West Ham nonsense with incorrect test results for COVID saw Mipo self isolate and miss training when he never had to.

Things were going just too well for the Hammers without some nonsense like this happening, but this is far better than the player having a positive test result or being injured. It is a bummer that Coventry and Holland couldn’t feature, though, as they are two of the best academy players the club has.

Outside of these players, it is only Michail Antonio, the super important but everso delicate muscle-bound monster who may be rested to ensure fitness for Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Here is the predicted West Ham line up headed off with STRIKER Jarrod Bowen atop a very familiar formation:

Randolph
Fredericks – Diop – Ogbonna – Johnson
Rice – Noble
Yarmolenko – Lanzini – Benrahma
Bowen

Bench: Martin, Fabianski, Coufal, Cresswell, Dawson, Balbuena, Soucek, Fornals, Antonio

This is a strong team factoring in depth players like Mark Noble, Issa Diop, and Ryan Fredericks who all had important roles to play in the best XI the Hammers could muster last season. It rotates these players in, along with Ben Johnson, Manuel Lanzini, and Andriy Yarmolenko while still leaning on an incredibly strong spine.

Declan Rice has to start. Whether he has the armband or not, Rice is a must-play leader on the pitch and will be crucial in disrupting Doncaster’s attack. Angelo Ogbonna is the defensive captain of the team and despite probably needing rest, he has to play.

Lastly, we see Jarrod Bowen up top as a lone striker in this system. He is flanked by two great passers in Yarmolenko and Said Benrahma and supported by Lanzini so he’ll have plenty of creative players to work around his speedy skillset.

These players, in one way or another, will make up the starting XI and bench to face Doncaster. There is such limited squad depth that no one is being left out. Still, in this assembly and formation, any team comprised of these players should roll over the Rovers and send the Hammers through.