David Moyes has a selection dilemma for Wednesday to get the right mix right for his EFL cup game against Manchester City at the London Stadium.
He will have one eye on Sunday’s trip to Villa Park on Sunday with the Hammers sitting in fourth place in the Premier League.
Pep has already revealed he will field a weakened team with a mixture of youngsters and experience.
Moyes could use his Europa League team that dispatched Genek last Thursday with some youngsters on the bench.
That lineup saw Areola, Johnson, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Yarmolenko, Vlasic, Lanzini, Bowen
Subs: Fabianski, Randolph, Ashby, Zouma, Masuaku, Fredericks, Ogbonna, Noble, Chesters, Benrahma, Fornals
For this game, we could see Ben Johnson given a rest and the return of Ryan Fredericks, Soucek and Rice could be given a rest with the possibility of Mark Noble and/or Alex Kral coming in (assuming he is match fit after his quarantine period)
Arthur Masuaku could even make his return to give Aaron Cresswell a well-earned break.
Claret and Hugh alternative predicted starting lineup: Areola, Fredericks, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku, Noble, Kral, Yarmolenko, Vlasic, Lanzini, Bowen
Johnson is doing well but Coufal is better at the moment, especially going forward
Play the team you suggest, including Noble & Masuaku, and you may as well give Man City a bye into the next round
If Cressie gets a rest I’d rather see Johnson as LB and Coufal/ Fredericks RB-Masuaku can’t defend- plays much better attacking but not shown too much this season.