West Ham United shared points with Bournemouth last weekend in the Premier League but their attention will shift to the FA Cup this weekend as they are due to make a trip to DW Stadium to face Wigan Athletic in the 4th round of the competition.
David Moyes has a notable amount of injury concerns as Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid, Andy Carroll, Michael Antonio, Jose Fonte, Edmilson Fernandez and Diafra Sakho are out of contention. However, Aaron Cresswell and Andre Ayew are set to return.
Here is how we expect the Hammers to line up against Paul Cook’s outfit.
Defence
Adrian has been getting the nod over Joe Hart in the league fixtures but in the FA Cup tie, we expect Hart to start between the sticks. The Englishman would look to make the most of the opportunity if he gets it.
Ahead of the custodian, we expect to see a four-man defence. Sam Byram is expected to start at the right-back position and Arthur Masuaku at the left-back position. Masuaku has fared pretty well this season and will be keen to keep the momentum going.
At the heart of the defence, we anticipate seeing the duo of Reece Burke and Angelo Ogbonna. The same pair mustered a clean sheet in the 3rd round and will be trusted to do the same once again.
Midfield
The central midfield is likely to be marshalled by Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang. Both of these players will be crucial in the clash against the Latics and a lot will depend on their performance. They have to shield the backline, push the side forward and dictate the tempo of the game from the middle.
The responsibility of the no.10 position is likely to be shouldered by Josh Cullen. The youngster started in both the fixtures against Shrewsbury Town and could possibly get his third start in the FA Cup this season.
Attack
We expect Javier Hernandez to lead the line against Wigan. Hernandez found the back of the net against Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League fixture and Moyes is expected to hand the Mexican his second start in as many games.
On the right-wing, we might see Andre Ayew making a return to showcase his attacking prowess whereas at the left-wing, we expect Sead Haksabanovic to play in the absence of Lanzini.
