Captain Mark Noble is in contention for a return and should be available for selection in the matchday squad for the weekend.
Alan Irvine, standing in David Moyes, confirmed it was great to have the skipper back, adding it was really important to have the captain back in the dressing room and the training ground, per Football.London.
Irvine said Noble’s toe had been giving him a lot of pain but it isn’t now and has allowed him to resume training. Moyes changed formation and bought Arthur Masuaku into the team to replace the injured Noble last week against Arsenal and the Hammers were unlucky not to get anything out of the game.
Noble may be forced to wait on the bench if Moyes decides to repeat the way setup against Wolves on Sunday.
Irvine was also asked about whether Andriy Yarmolenko will be pushing for a start on Sunday after a good midweek cup game. The coach said: “Andriy is one of the most talented players I have worked with. He has competition with Jarrod Bowen but at the moment he is performing well in the Carabao Cup games.”
The best he can hope for is the bench to be introduced with 20 mins to go. I would say that Moyes will not change the team but Fredericks, Cresswell and Bowen should be dropped based on their performances in the first two games. My team would play in a 3-5-2 formation with Fab, Diop, Rice and Ogbonna, Johnson and Masuaka, Soucek and Fornals Anderson Haller and Antonio with Anderson tucked in as a 10 behind Haller and Antonio.
I agree that Nobes should be on the bench and can come on with 15 minutes to go (hopefully to help protect a lead)
Diop will be unavailable due to Covid so I would go with
Fab
Fredericks Balbuena Ogbonna Cresswell Masuaku
Bowen Rice Soucek Antonio
Haller
Perhaps Fornals and Yarmo unlucky to be left out
COYI
PS I thought that Fredericks was much better as a wing back
Agreed, except I would try Alese instead of Cresswell who i find unconvincing as part of a back 3. Or a back 4 these days, if I’m honest. Tough for a youngster to come in against Wolves but we are short at the back, as we know.