How Divine Mukasa can benefit at West Ham as injury latest drops at Southampton

Divine Mukasa could be set to have a telling say for West Ham United against Southampton.

Championship action is set to return to the London Stadium on Saturday as the Saints come marching in.

The Hammers are coming off the back of a win away to Swansea City to close the gap at the top of the table.

Nuno Espirito Santo and Co. had the Manchester City loanee to thank as he scored the only goal of the game.

The 19-year-old once again showed his quality as one of the more important players in claret and blue.

Mukasa will be keen to maintain this level moving forward, and he could have a perfect chance against Southampton.

What is the injury latest at Southampton?

There has been plenty of controversy surrounding the St Mary's outfit.

That is for good reason as Tonda Eckert continues to face the repercussions.

It hasn't necessarily impacted his side's form as they remain in the play-off spots even after a points deduction.

Last time out, they could only manage a 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers having scraped past Norwich City in their previous outing.

The latter three points came at a cost as Flynn Downes picked up an ankle injury.

Eckert has suggested that: "He’ll push for West Ham and see how we get through the week. That’s what we push for. It’s ambitious, but it’s possible."

That may seem like a boost to Southampton, but could actually serve as an advantage to Mukasa.

Why Mukasa could thrive for West Ham vs Flynn Downes

Even if the former Irons youngster is to feature against his old club, he won't be at his best.

Dealing with an ankle injury will make things difficult to play as he would like to as an all-action, midfield conductor.

Should he start at the London Stadium, Mukasa will know that he probably has more time than he otherwise might have expected.

That could be just what the 2007-born talent needs to once again have a game-changing impact against the Saints.

Should Downes be absent from the starting XI in E20, it will also give the loan star a chance to take advantage of some rusty play in the middle of the park.

When facing a tough test, the best sides capitalise on these sorts of issues and that is something West Ham need to do in the Championship.