Alex Kral looks a certainty to make a rare appearance for the Hammers against Dinamo Zagreb in their final Europa League match of this round at the stadium tonight.
The defensive midfielder has had little action for the club since arriving on loan but as a player who can also play central defence in an emergency could become a key player over forthcoming weeks.
He has appeared in just three games thus far and looks likely to line up alongside Mark Noble in front of a reorganised back four tonight.
Despite not being used to any great extent the loanee has been extremely busy at Rush Green watching how our two first choice defensive midfielders operate should the time come when he will be required.
But tonight his only aim is to see the team win well as they head towards the later stages of a competition which has captured the fans imagination.
Speaking at the presser ahead of the game he said: ” “The atmosphere is really good because we’re top of the Europa League group, we’re in the top four of the Premier League. It’s positive, but we have to stay focused because it’s not easy.
“For most of the players it’s the first time in the Europa League, but we have lots of Premier League experience and we have the biggest goals.
“We know it’s going to be hard because big teams are coming to the Europa League. We believe we can beat them, and we need to be focused and sharp like we are in the big games. Of course it’s possible [to go a long way]..
“I’m a football player and I want to play each game, so having COVID wasn’t easy, but I’m new here to the team,” he explained.
“The football is different, so I’ve had time to get used to it and now I want to get more and more minutes. My job is to be ready for my chance, and I’m happy for each minutes that I get.
“In my position, of course I’ve known Tomáš a long time from Slavia Prague and the national team. I’ve trained with Declan for three months, so I’m studying how they play, how they move on the pitch and I learn from them. It’s good for me.”
