West Ham United are still challenging for a Premier League top-four spot but they have suddenly seen a dip in form, dropping points in four out of their previous five matches.
The Hammers lost their previous league match to Liverpool and next up, they head into Europe where they take on Sevilla in the Europa League Round of 16 match.
The fact that West Ham United are still in Europe is great news for their fans and if they can progress to the next later rounds then it will be considered a good season for the London side. Sevilla are one of the favourites to win the Europa League though and they are in great form in the La Liga as well.
Sevilla are currently second in the La Liga and have lost only one home game across all competitions this season meaning the Hammers have their work cut out, at least in the 1st leg.
West Ham have the firepower to cause damage to Sevilla but the Spanish side are much more experienced when it comes to European competitions. The London side used their strongest XI against Liverpool meaning their first-team players will not be properly rested and this could be an issue for David Moyes on Thursday.
West Ham United’s team news & injuries:
Vlad Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna remain sidelined with injuries but at least Masuaku has returned to the side and this is a big boost for the manager.
Declan Rice missed the Liverpool game with an illness and this was a major blow for West Ham United. Hopefully, he can be fit in time to feature in midfield against Sevilla because without him, it will be really difficult for Moyes’ side to pick up anything from this match.
Jarrod Bowen suffered a knock in the Liverpool game but thankfully, his injury is not serious, as per the latest updates. The injury might not be serious but we don’t think he will be fit to play in midweek.
Updating on Bowen’s injury: “Jarrod underwent an MRI scan, and thankfully no significant injury has occurred. He will continue to be monitored by the medical team and will undergo further examination in the coming days.”
If Jarrod Bowen is not ready then Vlasic will play on one of the wings with Fornals operating on the other flank.
Ryan Fredericks is also going to come into the side to replace Ben Johnson on the right-hand side of defence but we have a feeling Areola is not going to get a start. The backup keeper played during the group games but against a team like Sevilla, Moyes will likely rely on Fabianski.
West Ham United predicted line up vs Sevilla:
Predicted Starting Line up(4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Zouma, Dawson, Fredericks, Cresswell; Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek; Lanzini, Fornals, Vlasic/Bowen; Michail Antonio.
