West Ham take on 19th placed Leicester City at the London Stadium this Thursday, and Graham Potter has revealed what players will be available to him in his pre-match press conference.
The Hammers will be looking to build upon a remarkable away win against Arsenal over the weekend against a struggling Leicester side who come into the game having lost 10 of their last 11 league games.
In Potter’s pre-match press conference, he revealed that West Ham will still be without Lucas Paqueta, who is currently out with an ankle injury he suffered in training.
The Hammers will also be without Vladimir Coufal, who is struggling with a thigh injury that has seen him out of action since the 2-1 away loss to Chelsea on 3 February.
Potter was tight-lipped when asked about a return date for Paqueta, but revealed he was hopeful Coufal will be back for West Ham’s home game against Newcastle on 10 March.
In less surprising news, West Ham are still without Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Crysencio Summerville, who are all out with long-term injuries.
This means West Ham are expected to face Leicester with the same squad they had available to them in their shock win at the Emirates on Saturday.
The Hammers’ chances against the Foxes
West Ham will be on quite the high following an incredible victory and clean sheet against second-placed Arsenal on Saturday.
The Hammers will be looking to get revenge against Leicester, who beat them 3-1 back in December in Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge of the Foxes.
It was a game in which West Ham will have wondered how they didn’t leave with three points, let alone a draw, with the Hammers registering 31 shots in the game, a club record in the Premier League.
The need to follow up a brilliant away result with another three points at home goes without saying, with the Hammers having only won four of their 13 home games this season.
The return of Jean-Clair Todibo was a massive boost against the Gunners, and he made the back line seem far more solid than before.
The impressive displays of the wing-backs Ollie Scarles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka completed a fantastic defensive display, which Potter acknowledged in his press conference.
The attacking threat of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, who looked much improved against the Gunners, will surely cause Leicester’s defence problems, with the Foxes conceding 10 goals in their last three games.
West Ham will fancy their chances against a team sitting 19th in the league and with only two away wins to their name all season, but the need to not be complacent is imperative, and the Hammers must remain focused and disciplined to ensure they secure all three points and register back-to-back Premier League victories fir the first time this season.
