West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that three West Ham players who missed the Everton game are fit to face Chelsea on Monday night.
Right back Ryan Fredericks as well as playmakers Samir Nasri and Felipe Anderson have all been passed fit to take on the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
Felipe Anderson, Samir Nasri and Ryan Fredericks all fine for Monday night. https://t.co/WeO90hzer0
— Sam Inkersole (@Sam_InkersoleTM) April 5, 2019
“Felipe Anderson is OK. Samir Nasri has worked with the squad. Fredericks was also injured, he’s OK,” Pellegrini said at his pre match press conference on Friday, as per Football London [12:29].
OPINION
This is tremendous news for West Ham as they needed this triple boost ahead of facing the Blues. Fredericks’s absence was keenly felt against Everton last time out, that’s for sure. Pablo Zabaleta is getting on in age now and we’re starting to see that. That was certainly the case against the Toffees, where he struggled from start to finish. With that said, having Fredericks back against Chelsea’s myriad world class wingers is a big boost for Pellegrini. As for Nasri and Anderson, their returns are big as well. The team has been desperately lacking creativity this season, particularly from open play, and these are two of the team’s most technically gifted players. If the Hammers are going to crack open the Chelsea defence then they will need both Nasri and Anderson at their mercurial best. Even if both of them don’t start, it’s good to be able to have them as options from the bench as well. We’ll have to wait and see how involved they are on Monday.
