West Ham boss David Moyes is hopeful Michail Antonio and Seb Haller will play a big partnership role in the team’s end of season.
The record signing – at nearly £50 million – made his first fleeting appearance of the new season against Burnley but clearly wasn’t up to speed.
The manager is desperate to have him back in the right condition and form because – he says – the pair were in such great touch before lockdown.
Today’s game at Norwich is followed by a five day break ahead of the clash against Watford next Friday at 8pm and Moyes knows that will help.
Speaking to reporters he said: That will give us a bit more time as well. I am hoping Seb can keep up his work and give us every opportunity to use him.”
And on rotating the squad he said: “I wouldn’t say we’ve got loads of changes we can make; we’ve got one or two and we’ll use them .
” We’ve made one or two changes along the way to try and freshen it up and give us something else but I think the base of the team will still be there, I don’t see many changes.“
It seems that right back prospect Ben Johnson is unlikely to figure with the manager adding:”He was out for six months or more into the end of lockdown.
Jeremy Ngakia came in and did well, so Ben is there. If need him we’ll use him. At this moment in time I’ve not felt we’ve needed to.”
Today’s line=up looks likely to be unchanged from the game against Burnley: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek, Fornals, Bowen, Yaermolenko, Antonio.