Lanzini looking good – Balbuena has a chance

Manuel Lanzini and Fabian Balbuena are being tipped to take their places on the bench in next Friday night’s London Stadium clash against Fulham.

Claret and Hugh was given the news shortly before pictures emerged of the pair in training at the Malaga training camp shoetly after the squad’s arrival in Spain.

Both were described as being ahead of Samir Nasri with amazingly the Argentinian midfielder the most advanced of the three.

We were told by telephone via a senioe source:“Both are training with Manu looking the most likely of the three although Balbuena looks  likely to be involved.” 

The duo are seen above pictured training with the first team squad out in Malaga, Spain today as they take part in a four-day warm weather training camp.  Among the other attendees in Spain are Nathan Holland, Grady Diangana and youngster Ben Johnson.

Lanzini has been injured since last summer when he tore his ACL in the World Cup warm-up, Balbuena was injured in the Premier League loss against Watford just before Christmas last year.

Others spotted in photographs released by the club on the official website today are Pablo Zabaleta, Javier Hernandez, Pedro Obiang, Andy Caroll,  Marko Arnautovic, Aaron Cresswell, Ryan Fredericks, Iss Diop, Felipe Anderson, Michail Antonio, Robert Snodgrass, Mark Noble and Angelo Ogbonna.