West Ham United boss David Moyes faces some selection dilemmas for Thursday night’s Europa Conference League play-off qualifying round first leg tie against Danish side Viborg.
Heading into the game, the Hammers are without a win, a point, or even a goal from either of their Premier League games so far against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest after 1-0 and 2-0 defeats. Manchester United are the only side currently below the Hammers in the table after two matches.
A meeting with Viborg, who finished in the bottom half of last season’s Danish Superliga, awaits David Moyes’ side in midweek, who head into the game having gotten past FK Suduva and B36 Torshavn from Lithuania and Faroe Islands respectively in the earlier qualifying rounds.
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For Moyes, he will hope for a convincing first leg victory to make the second leg tie in Denmark an easier affair, especially with a small, injury-hit squad with suspensions currently at his disposal.
The home leg on Thursday comes three days before hosting Brighton and Hove Albion, with the second leg coming a week later in Viborg three days before facing a trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Moyes will want to name a strong squad, with little room for rotation, but there could be the chance for the boss to hand debuts to two of his summer signings in Gianluca Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet.
The duo both featured off the bench against Forest but are yet to make full debuts, with Moyes stating after the game that while they were both ready to start the game, he opted not to start them citing their lack of pre-season action for not starting them just yet.
Against Viborg, it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash the duo, who cost a combined total of £48m, from the off.
Said Benrahma, who came agonisingly close to scoring on multiple occasions against Forest, could drop down to the bench, with Cornet starting and Pablo Fornals keeping his place in the number 10 role.
While hardly any of West Ham’s players have come through the opening two games at their best so far, Jarrod Bowen is also short of recapturing his stunning form from last season. Bowen, alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Chelsea’s Mason Mount, was one of only three players last year to reach double figures for both league goals and league assists.
However, he has been quiet in both the defeats to City and Forest, and a European night against Viborg on home soil may be the chance he needs to get back to his best.
In midfield, Tomas Soucek will not be partnered by Declan Rice as he is suspended for both legs following comments he made after the Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt last season. That could mean the Czech Republic international is partnered by Manuel Lanzini playing in a deeper role, or a full debut for summer signing Flynn Downes.
At the back, injuries to Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna and Nayef Aguerd leave the Irons with just four senior defenders currently fit in Vladimir Coufal, Ben Johnson, Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell. However, Cresswell will be serving a one-match ban after being sent off against Frankfurt. Harrison Ashby or Jamal Baptiste could therefore be thrown into the mix. Moyes is also serving a one-match ban for kicking a ball at a ball boy in the defeat in Germany back in May.
Moyes could also hand a full debut to goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on his second spell with the club following his permanent move from Paris Saint-Germain to the London Stadium. That would allow Lukasz Fabianski a rest ahead of the meeting with Brighton.
Potential West Ham 11 to face Viborg: Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Jamal Baptiste, Kurt Zouma, Ben Johnson; Tomas Soucek, Manuel Lanzini, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Maxwel Cornet; Gianluca Scamacca
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