David Moyes was dealing with a headache over his defence ahead of naming his West Ham line-up to face Arsenal today, for which he has made five changes.
Craig Dawson was the Scot’s only fit senior centre-half going into last weekend’s meeting with Chelsea, only to pick up a red card in the game, earning a suspension for this weekend’s Premier League meeting with the Gunners.
There was good news, however, as Kurt Zouma returned well ahead of scheduled for the Europa League semi-final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night. The Frenchman keeps his place.
There was better news regarding fellow centre-back Issa Diop, who Moyes says could yet play again this season following an ankle problem.
“Issa is making a really good recovery and there’s always an outside chance he’ll be back before the end of the season,” he said.
“We were worried and didn’t think he would be, but we think there is a good chance that he could be. But we can’t confirm that at this moment.”
Elsewhere, Moyes left the likes of Jarrod Bowen Declan Rice on the bench for the defeat to Chelsea but names both in his starting lineup.
Starting West Ham XI: Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Cresswell, Fredericks; Noble, Rice; Fornals, Benrahma, Lanzini; Bowen.
