Maxwel Cornet and Flynn Downes to start – West Ham United predicted XI v Gent
David Moyes is likely to make several changes to his West Ham United starting lineup for the Europa Conference League clash with Gent.
The Hammers claimed a vital 1-0 win over Fulham at the weekend (8 April) to move away from the relegation zone, but will face league leaders Arsenal next at the London Stadium on Sunday (16 April) with defeat plunging them straight back into trouble.
But the club still want success in Europe with their 100% record in the tournament so far this season, so Moyes could look to freshen things up with his team.
Alphonse Areola is very much the cup goalkeeper for this team and should come back into the side ahead of Lukasz Fabianski, who Moyes kept faith with against Fulham after the 5-1 loss to Newcastle.
In defence there are options, but after a clean sheet against Fulham Moyes is likely to want that same back four to be available against the Gunners. That means changes in this game are likely.
Ben Johnson has performed well when called upon and should get the nod at right-back, while the experience of Aaron Cresswell could do with the extra minutes in this game on the left.
Kurt Zouma is the best central defender at the club right now, so he is likely to be rested for the weekend with Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna partnering up in the middle together.
Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek have continued to be paired in midfield together despite their struggles as a duo, but both should be rested with Lucas Paqueta still carrying a knock too.
That will allow Flynn Downes to come into the side, with the versatility of Pablo Fornals allowing him to drop into a deeper role too with Manuel Lanzini floating in the number ten role ahead of them but adding extra security.
In attack Moyes finally went with two strikers and got a result, but don’t expect that trend to continue too much.
Jarrod Bowen is likely to continue on the right wing despite his performances dwindling this season, and there could be a rare start for Maxwel Cornet on the left.
The Ivorian is fit again and has come off the bench in the last two games, so a start in this competition could be the perfect next step ahead of a return to Premier League action considering he hasn’t started a game since 1 October.
Up front Danny Ings has only scored twice since joining the club in January and could do with a boost in confidence, so he should get the nod here to help him break that duck.