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West Ham given another suspension boost as Frankfurt midfielder out of first-leg
West Ham have been given another boost ahead of their Europa League semi-final as Frankfurt’s Kristian Jakic has his suspension confirmed by Uefa.
Jakic, 24, picked up his third yellow card in the competition in Frankfurt’s quarter-final victory against Barcelona.
Uefa rules state that if three yellow cards are amassed from the group stage onwards, then a one-game ban will follow.
The governing body confirmed on their website that Jakic will miss the first leg along with his teammate Evan Ndicka, who was shown a late red card in their match at the Nou Camp.
Game changer
These two suspensions provide some much needed positive news for David Moyes, after Saturday’s defeat away at Chelsea.
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Jakic has made 24 appearances for Frankfurt this season and according to the Europa League stats page, the Croatian has committed the most fouls in the competition this season.
His absence will certainly take away a competitive edge from the Bundesliga side’s midfield and potentially give Rice and Soucek the chance to settle on the ball.
Ndicka also looks like a big loss for the German side, with the defender currently having the third most ball-recoveries in the Europa League.
According to the Sun, the Frankfurt man has also been linked with a summer move to Newcastle United.
Michail Antonio will certainly have an easier night with the France Under-21 international in the side.
The West Ham striker was rested by David Moyes in their defeat at Stamford Bridge ahead of this week’s Europa League semi-final.
With two of Frankfurt’s main men out of contention for the first leg, David Moyes will know the importance of taking a lead to Germany, in what promises to be an extremely tough test at the Deutsch Bank Park.
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