By CandH blogger Allen Cummings
It appears Fabian Balbuena is close to full fitness and soon to make his comeback to first team duty.
He won’t be ready for Newcastle but is expected to be available for Cardiff in a week’s time. The ‘General’, whose partnership with Issa Diop was adding a real feeling of solidarity to the centre of the West Ham defence, has been missing since damaging his knee against Watford just before Christmas.
In his absence Angelo Ogbonna has been partnering Diop, and after a somewhat shaky start, Oggy has grown in confidence and stature and is now an integral part of the team in his own right.
His performance at the Etihad on Wednesday, against Manchester City and the highest scoring attack in the Premier League, was generally regarded as outstanding.
So the dilemma Manuel Pellegrini will soon have to consider is should Balbuena come straight back into the side, or does Ogbonna deserve to retain his place?
It’s fair to say the Italian wasn’t a particular favourite with the fans at the start of the season. Pellegrini had paired Oggy with Balbuena for the opening two games, but a couple of lack lustre performances resulting in defeats to Liverpool and Bournemouth demanded a change in personnel and Ogbonna was dropped in favour of Diop – and a new partnership was formed.
Speculation was even rife that Ogbonna could be on his way out of the club in the January transfer window. But Balbuena’s injury changed all that and the 30 year old seized his chance it with both feet.
One of the criticisms of him was his concentration could often waver. He’d fall asleep and be slow to react to situations.
He appears to have dealt with that flaw in his game. becoming far more focused, more decisive and determined. He’s in the side now on merit and not simply by default.
Solomon Rondon will provide a formidable opponent on Saturday evening. The Newcastle front man is big and strong with exceptional ability in the air.
He will test Ogbonna and Diop to the full but should the pair rise to the task, what might originally have looked a simple choice for Pellegrini to reinstate Balbuena to the team, might now not be as clear cut as was first thought.