West Ham confirmed early team news ahead of Premier League showdown v Tottenham
Lucas Paqueta is unavailable for West Ham as they gear up to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (19 February).
The Brazilian went off injured in the Hammers’ 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend but has not recovered in time to face Spurs.
Moyes has also revealed Nayef Aguerd and Gianluca Scamacca are in contention to get some minutes in Sunday’s game.
As quoted by Football.London in his press conference on Friday (17 February) Moyes said, “Lucas Paqueta is not going to be available. Nayef has got a chance but we’re not sure yet if he’s going to make it. Scamacca is back but is nowhere near ready. I might get him some minutes, but a minimum.
There was also an update on Maxwel Cornet with Moyes hoping to have him back at the club “next Monday” though questions remain over whether he will be ready to train.
Advantage Hammers
West Ham go into the game against Tottenham with injury problems but none quite so bad as the home side.
Tottenham confirmed on Monday (13 February) that Rodrigo Bentancur ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Saturday’s (11 February) Premier League clash against Leicester.
He will miss the remainder of the season.
To make matters worse, Spurs confirmed on 9 February that Bissouma will go under the knife to fix a stress fracture in his ankle, almost certainly ruling him out for months.
Ryan Sessegnon will also play no part in the game while Antonio Conte will not be on the sidelines as he remains in Italy following his gallbladder surgery.
West Ham surely have the upper hand with Tottenham’s defence all at sea in recent weeks. The four goals conceded last weekend many suggest Spurs could make changes but they have a vital must-win game against AC Milan next week.
This is the perfect time for the Hammers to seal victory over their old rivals even without Paqueta available.