Preview: West Ham vs Anderlecht

West Ham United head into this night’s Europa Convention League assembly with RSC Anderlecht realizing {that a} win in opposition to the Belgian aspect will all however affirm their passage by to the knockout phases of the competitors.

Certainly, with a victory at Lotto Park seeing the Hammers transfer six points away from their hosts on the prime of Group B, except for a disastrous collapse over the return legs of their group stage fixtures, the Irons can be enjoying European soccer as soon as once more after Christmas.

Nevertheless, with David Moyes suggesting in his pre-match press convention that he might deploy one thing of a rotated aspect in opposition to the Jupiler Professional League outfit, Thursday’s fixture could properly present a variety of the membership’s fringe gamers an opportunity to impress the 59-year-old supervisor.

So, what number of modifications will the Scot make to the aspect that defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers final weekend? Right here’s how we predict West Ham might line up in opposition to Anderlecht, together with the most recent staff and damage information…

With Moyes revealing that Maxwel Cornet will miss Thursday’s fixture as a result of a calf pressure picked up in opposition to Wolves, coupled with the Scot’s trace that he could begin a variety of his fringe gamers, we predict that the 59-year-old will make eight modifications to his beginning XI from that aspect that began on the London Stadium final Saturday.

The primary of those alterations comes between the sticks, with cup goalkeeper Alphonse Areola changing Lukasz Fabianski, whereas there are additionally three modifications within the again 4, with Emerson Palmieri, Angelo Ogbonna and the “sensational” – within the phrases of ExWHUemployee – Ben Johnson coming in for Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma and Thilo Kehrer respectively.

In the course of the park, membership captain Declan Rice begins alongside Flynn Downes, who takes the place of the largely underperforming Tomas Soucek, whereas Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Stated Benrahma are available for the injured Cornet, big-name summer signing Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen within the Hammers’ attacking midfield trio.

The ultimate change comes up prime, with Michail Antonio – who at present ranks because the best player within the Europa Convention League up to now this season – changing Gianluca Scamacca in an try to preserve each centre-forwards as recent as potential – with the Italian having began each of the Irons’ final two fixtures.