Manu Lanzini is looking forward to opposing Sevilla and a couple of former teammates in Lucas Ocampos. Gonzalo Montiel and Erik Lamela, as well as compatriots Marcos Acuña and Papu Gómez in Sevilla on Thursday evening.
However, Montiel, Acuna and Gomnez may be missing through injury as we head into oyr most important game of the season with so much at stake.
However, as group winners and one of the seeded teams at this point of the competition this is no moment to talk down our chances on the back of a couple of injuries however important those absentees may be.
Lanzini was a team mate of winger Ocampos and full back Montiel before in Argentine and is ready to renew his friendship following the rivalry.
Manu is right back into his best form and will be a key midfield figure in a game where we will need to be at our very best and he told West Ham TV: “ I have a lot of friends there.
“There are a lot of Argentinean players at Sevilla. I’ve played with all of them, and it’s going to be good to see them again.
“Montiel, Gómez, Acuña … I played with Lamela, Montiel and Ocampos at River Plate, and the other boys I played in the national team. They’re really very good guys. It’s going to be good to see them again.”.
Lanzini admitted: “It’s a big, big game for us. It’s against Sevilla and they are the most regular winners of the Europa League.
“It’s going to be a tough game, but we need to enjoy it, and if we do, I think we can win.
“We need to first go there, play a very good game, and then after we be thinking about playing at home.”“