Declan Rice and Jesse Lingard were not happy with West Ham‘s performance against Leeds United last time out. While there are areas that could have been better, in general, the team put in a professional performance and git the job done over the Yorkshire side.
David Moyes is still without stars like Angelo Ogbonna and Andriy Yarmolenko for the foreseeable future. While Arthur Masuaku has returned to training this week, the match against Manchester United will be too soon for the defender. The only players that are back in contention are Ryan Fredericks and Darren Randolph, though neither are likely to start.
West Ham have already been beaten by Manchester United on two occasions this season, once in the League and once in the FA Cup. There could be a mental block when it comes to facing the Red Devils, but it must be put to one side. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side are currently struggling with injures and are in the middle of a tough Europa League round against AC Milan.
Jesse Lingard will have to drop out of the West Ham team due to Premier League rules, but there are some good options for David Moyes to replace him.
Of course, Moyes won’t be focused on the United side, but it could be the perfect time to play them. Regarding West Ham’s team, there is no reason for Moyes to make any drastic changes, and if he keeps the same team that beat Leeds, it will allow him to really take the game to the Limping Devils. The only change Moyes will have to make is to find a replacement for Lingard.
The midfielder is on loan from Manchester United, and due to the rules in the Premier League, Lingtad is not allowed to play against his parent club. The positive for Moyes is he has a great option to replace Lingard with. Jarrod Bowen has a point to prove after a couple of months of questionable form. If Bowen can grab a goal against United, he could stake his claim in the side.
Predicted XI
Fabianski
Coufal – Dawson – Diop – Cresswell
Rice (C) – Soucek
Benrahma – Fornals – Bowen
Antonio
Lingard will be a big miss for the Hammers, but if Bowen can play to his best, he can still have a good impact against Manchester United. A win will see West Ham keep pace with the Champions League race, something that would make history for the club.