Fitness and suspension between them play a key role in Graham Potter’s selections this week with a couple of players close to – but maybe not completely ready – for starts. We have hopes that Crysencio Summerville has fully recovered from his hamstring twinge but don’t expect Graham Potter to gamble further by including Jarrod Bowen in this one so soon after his fracture.
With ‘Cree” fit, the prospect of West Ham reverting to that ‘wing backs’ set up which Summerville filled so well in the first half before he got injured, looks a real possibility. Do The Hammers have the defensive resources to find three fit centre backs though? Mavropanos, remember, is suspended after his red card last week and Jean-Clair Todibo is still not fit. Quite how Potter will deal with his striker crisis too is a matter of guesswork for us – so therefore Unai Emery won’t have much idea of what he is seeing up to play against either!
Our forecast – Fabianski, Wan Bissaka, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek, Soler, Summerville, Paquetá, Kudus
Matt 2- 0 Villa win.
Martin 2-0 Villa Win.
Sean 1-0 West Ham win – Bowen’s triumphant return with a goal from the bench
Gonzo 2-1 Villa win
Check back at 3.15 and we’ll bring you the confirmed starting eleven as soon as we have it: And don’t forget immediately after the final whistle Gonzo’s ‘player ratings’ are published so you can compare your own thoughts with ours.
3-1 Villa as usual midfield will get overrun.
Casey should be given the chance to prove himself, not an over the hill Cresswell used as an emergency central defender. Time to see what Casey can do, albeit in an unforgiving position. He may well flourish in the role and save us big money bringing in another centre back. Won’t know till we try it.
Exactly
Fancy us today…Soucek on the scoresheet in a 2.1 win….COYI
More or less agree but think Cresswell can only play in a back 3. Wan Bassaka as a right sided centre half might be the answer, otherwise would prefer that Casey was given a chance in a back 4.