Predicted West Ham XI to face Leicester City in the Premier League
West Ham gave their fans plenty to cheer with victories over Everton and Manchester United but failed to build on the momentum in the subsequent games as the Hammers suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men currently sit 14th in the standings with 2 wins from their first 9 games and there is still plenty of room for improvement.
And they will face an uphill battle when they make the trip to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City on Saturday. Leicester themselves haven’t been in great form, losing out to Everton and Arsenal in recent weeks and West Ham should use this opportunity to turn their fortunes around.
Team News
West Ham have been dealt a huge blow by the injury to Andriy Yarmolenko which is likely to keep him on the sidelines for at least six months.
The Hammers will also be without the services of Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere and Winston Reid, all of whom are ruled out due to injuries.
Formation: 4-1-4-1
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Predicted XI
Lukasz Fabianski (GK)
The veteran has been in impressive form this season and made a couple of brilliant saves in the last game.
Pablo Zabaleta (RB)
The Argentine has done a great job for his team at the back and has contributed to the attacking play with subtle overlapping runs.
Fabian Balbuena (CB)
Seems to have adapted well to life in the Premier League. He has the tendency to let the team down with occasional lapses in concentration but has been solid overall.
Aaron Cresswell (LB)
Did a much better job than Artur Masuaku on the left-hand side of the backline against Spurs and looked good with his crossing.
Issa Diop (CB)
He has been quite composed at the back; a reliable presence alongside Balbuena.
Declan Rice (CDM)
The stocks have soared high for the young Irishman after some brilliant displays in central midfield and he could play a key role against Leicester on Saturday.
Michail Antonio (RM)
Pellegrini must deploy Antonio over Grady Diangana as a replacement for Andriy Yarmolenko.
Mark Noble (RCM)
He is not the same midfield engine that he used to be but is still a good option as he brings in a lot of stability to the line-up.
Felipe Anderson (CAM)
Yarmolenko’s injury might prompt the manager to use the Brazilian in a No.10 role behind Arnautovic.
Robert Snodgrass (LM)
His end product is not always great but he has the ability to give the defenders a tough time with his driving runs; strong in his defensive contribution as well.
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Marko Arnautovic (ST)
The talismanic Austrian was unlucky not to score in the last game. He has been in good touch and West Ham will need him to fire on all cylinders if they are to get anything out of Saturday’s clash.
