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West Ham United gem Divin Mubama finally set to take his chance in Carabao Cup clash
West Ham gem Divin Mubama could finally be set to take his chance in the Carabao Cup clash against Lincoln City with senior stars left at home after waiting patiently for an opportunity.
Mubama would have been hoping to see some minutes in the recent Europa League clash against Backa Topola but did not appear due to the circumstances of the game, and now will have renewed hope of minutes against Lincoln.
The Evening Standard reported on 27 September that several senior players, including the usual first-choice striker Michail Antonio, have been rested for the game, presenting the chance for youngsters to make their mark.
Danny Ings was the preferred option for West Ham in their opening Europa League fixture, but failed to make any impact on the game, managing just one shot in the 77 minutes he played. This may have opened the door for Mubama to step in.
The 18-year-old has been an unused substitute in five of the Hammers’ games so far this season, and will see the League Cup fixture as an ideal opportunity to stake a claim for more involvement, particularly due to the lack of depth David Moyes has up top.
It is no secret that the Hammers spent a large portion of the summer transfer window chasing a new forward after Gianluca Scamacca’s departure, but their failure to land one may have provided Mubama with his chance.
Rotation will be necessary for the East London club as they look to compete in all four competitions this season both domestically and in Europe, and the young forward could be one who benefits from the changes in personnel.
While fellow academy graduates Jacob Knightsbridge and Kaelen Casey were mentioned by name in The Telegraph’s report, Mubama has the most first-team experience of the group, which could tempt Moyes into experimenting with his role once more.
He has made five senior appearances already at West Ham, and scored his first senior goal in last year’s Europa Conference League campaign, but will now be anticipating the step up and more game time.
The striker will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Academy of Football graduate Declan Rice, who recently earned himself a nomination for FIFA’s prestigious Best Men’s Player award.
In other West Ham news, a call has been made on Mohammed Kudus’ game-time.