West Ham United are due to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday in their next Premier League fixture.
The Hammers clinched a commendable 1-0 win over Arsenal last weekend and their confidence will be sky high at the moment.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men sit 9th in the league standings, having collected 31 points from 22 games so far, and will be optimistic of a positive result against the Cherries.
West Ham United Team News
Pellegrini has a long list of absentees and he will be without the services of Jack Wilshere, Fabian Balbuena, Andriy Yarmolenko, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid and Carlos Sanchez, with all of them nursing injuries. Javier Hernandez and Ryan Fredericks are back in training but are unlikely to play any part.
PREDICTED WEST HAM UNITED LINEUP VS BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1)
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski is expected to start in goal against Eddie Howe’s side. The Polish shot-stopper secured a clean sheet against Arsenal last weekend and will be aiming for a similar display.
Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop lived up to the billing against the Gunners and the central defensive duo is likely to start once again in their side’s upcoming league fixture.
Aaron Cresswell and Pablo Zabaleta might start as the full-backs yet again. Both of them have not only been resilient at the back but have also aided their side in their attacking exploits by always availing themselves as passing options in the final third.
Zabaleta has particularly been in a rich vein of form this season. The 34-year-old right-back has made 2.1 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game on an average after 16 league starts.
Midfield
Declan Rice and Mark Noble are likely to continue in the central midfield. While Rice is getting better with every passing game, Noble has forged a decent partnership alongside the 20-year-old.
Pellegrini is expected to bring in Robert Snodgrass at the expense of Michail Antonio with Grady Diangana also providing an option. Snodgrass has impressed in whatever opportunity he has got this season and will look to keep up with his good form in the wake of intense competition for a place in the starting XI.
Down the left flank, Felipe Anderson will continue to be the Hammers’ likeliest source of a goal or an assist. The Brazilian has notched up 8 goals and 2 assists in 22 Premier League appearances and will be a serious threat for the home side. Samir Nasri is expected to operate as the central attacking midfielder after a fine display on his debut.
Attack
West Ham United star forward, Marko Arnautovic, is linked with a move to China. The striker has reportedly been offered wages of £200,000-a-week and despite his professionalism till this point, many believe his days at the club are numbered.
Therefore, Andy Carroll could get the nod to start up front amidst this uncertainty. The Englishman has been in and out, mostly out, of the team with his injuries refusing to come to a stop but his potential is known to all and the former Liverpool man should get another shot at re-establishing himself.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored