OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini now faces a tough choice ahead of West Ham’s game with Tottenham after it was reported that defender Arthur Masuaku would likely be fit to feature.
The left-back, who earns £40,000-a-week (Source: Spotrac), suffered a knock on international duty while representing DR Congo during their game with Zimbabwe.
Masuaku left the field during his nation’s recent 2-1 loss in the 82nd minute and it would have made Pellegrini’s life easier if the defender was ruled out of Saturday’s game against Spurs.
However Sky Sports have now reported that the left-back had received a boost as he will likely be fit for the game against Mauricio Pochettino’s side after all.
Yet in all honesty Masuaku’s place in Pellegrini’s team should be in jeopardy as despite the Hammers’ form improving as of late, the player has still proven a liability.
This was particularly the case during the Hammers’ last outing before the international break as Masuaku submitted an awful performance as his side went on to lose 1-0 to Brighton.
If he had been ruled out then Pellegrini would have particularly forced to play his other senior left-back, Aaron Cresswell, in his place and no one would have raised their eyebrows if that decision panned out.
Cresswell doesn’t seem to be a drastic improvement on Masuaku as he has hardly wowed anyone in his three outings this season and struggled during the 2017/18 campaign.
There’s a real chance that the 28-year-old English full-back would submit an equally as woeful display as Masuaku if brought into Pellegrini’s first team so there is a risk to dropping the DR Congo international for Cresswell.
Therefore even though the Hammers have been handed a boost in some respects by Masuaku being fit, it leaves Pellegrini with a headache about whether to stick with the struggling left-back or gamble on Cresswell upping his game if selected to play against Spurs on Saturday.
