West Ham receive massive boost v Lyon as Ben Johnson returns to training
West Ham will face Lyon in the first leg of the quarter-final tie in the Europa League at the London Stadium on Thursday.
Ahead of the match, David Moyes has confirmed [whufc] that Ben Johnson has returned to training, and he is in line to start against Lyon.
The versatile defender has been outstanding this season, and has hardly put a foot wrong. He has looked solid at right-back and has played with equal conviction on the other flank as well.
Joe Cole has hailed him as a “brilliant” player last season while speaking on BT Sport. Carlton Cole has also got nice things to say about him which shows his improvement.
This is a big game and securing a win over the two-leg could the Hammers face Barcelona in the semi-final of the Europa League. Let that sink in.
The 22-year-old picked up an injury whilst on international duty with the England U21, and missed the game against Everton last Sunday.
Vladimir Coufal has only returned from a long injury lay-off, and Moyes has made it clear today that he is not fully fit to last the entire 90 minutes.
Ryan Fredericks is another option, but you need your top players in big games. And Johnson has developed as a top talent for the club, someone who can be relied upon.
He may not possesses a wide range of passing abilities like Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he is a solid defender. He keeps a tight shape at the back, and Moyes needs him to be on top of his game on Thursday.
In other West Ham news, another of the goalkeeper’s union at the club has been fined for a driving offence.
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