Mark Noble will not be available for West Ham’s Premier League clash with Brighton on Saturday, according to reliable source ExWHUemployee.
The Hammers’ veteran skipper was unavailable for last weekend’s curtain-raiser against Manchester City, and his absence was acutely felt as the champions ran out 5-0 winners in east London.
And it looks to be bad news as far as this weekend goes too.
When asked if Noble would be fit to face the Seagulls, Ex wrote on his personal Twitter account: “No, I don’t think so.”
OPINION
This will come as a real blow for West Ham. Saturday’s match against Brighton has already taken on a significant complexion after last weekend’s drubbing against the champions, and another loss, especially after a Sumer of big spending, would have fans asking questions. Nobody expected the Hammers to beat City, make no mistake, but to go down in the manner that they did was more than a little worrying – and it’s no exaggeration to suggest that Noble’s absence was a key part of that. Without him partnering Declan Rice in the centre of the park, the Irons were pretty much overrun from the get-go. Jack Wilshere, who stepped into the breach as his replacement, managed just one tackle all game, as per Whoscored, compared to the average of 1.8 made per 90 last season by the skipper [Whoscored]. The sooner he is back amongst the action, the better for everybody.