David Moyes has taken a big gamble with Kurt Zouma a surprise name in the West Ham starting lineup for tonight’s Europa League semi-final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Moyes is currently facing a defensive crisis with three of his four senior centre-backs having been out through injury. Angelo Ogbonna has been sidelined since November and Issa Diop is missing after picking up an ankle problem against Burnley.
Zouma, a £30million signing from Chelsea last summer, had been making an encouraging recovery from his ankle injury following fears he could miss the rest of the season.
However, Moyes suggested in his pre-match press conference that he wouldn’t be taking any risks with his team selection.
“I wouldn't rush anybody back," he said on Wednesday. “We've got most people available at the weekend available again, and we've got some people making good recoveries, but we don't know if they'll be ready yet.
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“We could do with some central defenders getting fit, that's for sure, but that's the way it's been. We're getting to the business end and we really could do with our best players. We've been quite short, but great credit to the group of players for how they've done to get to this stage.”
West Ham starting XI (4-2-3-1): Areola, Johnson, Zouma, Dawson, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals, Antonio
Date: Thursday, April 28, 8pm BST
Venue: London Stadium
Referee: Serdar Gozubuyuk (NED)
West Ham squad from: Fabianski, Martin, Randolph, Areola, Fredericks, Dawson, Alese, Baptise, Ashby, Johnson, Cresswell, Masuaku, Noble, Rice, Soucek, Kral, Vlasic, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Benrahma, Fornals, Antonio, Perkins.
Injured: Ogbonna (knee), Diop (ankle)
