West Ham United manager David Moyes has said that he has no concerns over playing Ben Johnson against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, should the defender be needed.
The Hammers academy graduate has been used off the bench as a makeshift centre-back in the last two games following injuries to Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma, who could both miss the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the start of the weekend.
At the start of this season, injuries to Aguerd, Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna led to Johnson, naturally a right-back, slotting in as a centre-back, both centrally and as part of a back three.
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Zouma is set to miss out against Spurs, while Aguerd is a doubt with thigh and groin injuries respectively and with West Ham currently playing a 3-4-3 formation, Ogbonna and Thilo Kehrer are currently their only other fit options at centre-back.
After a dip in form in recent months, Moyes has been more impressed by Johnson as of late and says he has no concerns over playing Johnson, should injuries lead to it.
"I've got to say Ben's come on and done well," Moyes told football.london .
"He's had a couple of games where I didn't [bring him on]. But he's training really well at the moment and he's just got himself into a wee bit better place than a month or two ago, he's looking a bit better.
"I've got no qualms about playing Ben. He played at Derby and has had a few minutes since then so hopefully we can keep getting him some time."
A number of Johnson’s minutes this season in all competitions have come both centrally and as a wing-back in a back three formation. He has shown a capability of playing on both the right and left sides - versatility which Moyes likes a lot and could lead to a run of minutes.
"Yeah I think so," Moyes added when asked if a back three formation suited Johnson. "I think Ben's got the capability of being a centre-back in a three or a full-back or a wing-back as well so he gives me that option.
"The biggest thing about Ben is he can play on the right and the left - he's probably as able on both sides. England Under-21s international who is doing okay."
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