West Ham could be boosted by Declan Rice return against Burnley
David Moyes is hopeful that Declan Rice will return for West Ham in their match against Burnley on Monday.
The Irons boss told Sky Sports that the midfielder has been back in training this week and Moyes admitted Rice is ahead of schedule in regard to his injury return.
He also admitted that West Ham have missed the England international since he picked up his injury, suggesting the defence has taken a hit in his absence.
Since Rice was sidelined West Ham have conceded eight goals in four matches, and have won two and lost two.
Speaking ahead of the clash at Turf Moor, Moyes told Sky Sports, “Is he that important? I think so, yeah.
“He played in the game where we drew 3-3 against Arsenal so you could take that away, but he is incredibly important.
“We’ve had him back training a little bit. We’re not sure exactly what level he’s at but we’ve got a few days before the game on Monday.
“He’s made good progress, we’re happy and I would say he’s ahead of schedule. So we’ll try to keep pushing him on if we can.”
Rice has taken on huge responsibility this season, not only as West Ham’s stand-in captain but also as the focal point in midfield.
He has been brilliant defensively, managing 1.9 tackles and two interceptions per game [WhoScored].
It is little surprise we have struggled a little without him, though injuries to Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell also have not helped.
Rice is the pick of the bunch however, and his key role in the England set-up shows how important he is.
Gareth Southgate recently said the 22-year-old is “outstanding at recovering balls in midfield”, as quoted by whufc.com, and without Rice we have looked vulnerable at times.
Burnley will be riding high too after thrashing Wolves 4-0 last time out, so winning the midfield battle will be key to our success.
Rice returning would be a major boost in accomplishing that task, and his presence should lift each of his teammates as well.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have made calls to sign a new defender who is “captain material”.
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