Noble Swansea start leaves question mark

Mark Noble can be expected to hold onto his place on Saturday against Swansea despite Pedro Obiang having been reported ready to return from injury.

Obiang has been suffering from a muscular injury but is expected to take his place in midfield – possibly at the expense of Cheik Kouyate who – apart from a stunning goal against Spurs – has probably not been in his best form recently.

It’s a question mark which will only be answered after the manager has taken stock of every layer’s fitness.

Obiang has been in decent  form and will be hard to exclude if he is fully recovered whilst Noble himself probably produced  his best displays for several weeks against Spurs after his recent injury.

The other big decision the manager has to make is whether he can accommodate Arthur Masuaku in the side and drop Aaron Cresswell to the bench.

The former Hammers of the Year seems to be struggling this season and Masuaku made a huge difference down the left side when he appeared as a late sub against the North Londoners.