There is something going around the West Ham United training ground right now, and it isn’t good. Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek all missed out on the loss to Manchester City with some unspecified illness.
And whatever this bug may be, apparently some other members of the team have caught it too. Bad news ahead of Sunday’s match versus Manchester United, a side they struggle against even when their squad is fully fit.
Manchester United at West Ham FYIs
Kickoff: Sun May 7, 7pm, London Stadium
Team News: West Ham Man United
Starting XI Prediction: West Ham Man United
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: West Ham LLLWD Man United LWDWW
PL Standings: West Ham 15th 34 pts Man United 4th 63 pts
Google Result Probability: West Ham 29% Draw 26% Man United 45%
Hammers boss David Moyes addressed this issue today at his weekly press conference.
“They’ve been in today,” the Scot said in regards to the trio of ill players.
“Today was the first day we’ve had the chance to assess them. They’ve done a bit of training and we hope they’ll all be available on Sunday. One other player was sent home this morning, and another has said they don’t feel so good, so we have to hope we can contain it. It looks as though it’s more like sickness and the players are getting over it quickly.”
Moyes didn’t name names as to who else might be sick, but it is safe to say that
- Rice, Soucek and Aguerd are “doubts”
- there will probably be an absentee or two in addition to them.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.