West Ham United will lock horns with Dinamo Zagreb at Stadion Maksimir on Thursday evening as they try to secure a win on the road in the UEFA Europa League. The Hammers were held to a scoreless draw by Southampton last weekend which has halted their momentum a bit ahead of this European game in midweek.
David Moyes will set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his first XI for this match. Andriy Yarmolenko, Nikola Vlašić and Alex Kral could all play from the start as the West Ham boss looks to freshen up his team later this week.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Predicted Lineup To Face Dinamo Zagreb
Defence
Alphonse Areola could function in between the sticks for the Hammers as Moyes is likely to rotate his goalkeepers for this Europa League clash. Angelo Ogbonna will function along with Kurt Zouma at the centre of the West Ham backline as they focus on keeping things tidy at the back throughout the 90 minutes.
Ryan Fredericks could get the nod to operate at right-back while Ben Johnson hopes to catch the eye on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will have to pick and choose their moments to join in on the attack as they cannot allow the Zagreb wide players from getting in behind them out on the flanks.
Craig Dawson could be handed a rest on the bench as he offers cover for the centre-back positions.
Midfield
Mark Noble could get a rare start in midfield along with Alex Kral as they look to dominate the battle against the opposition at the centre of the park. Both of them will have to make sure that they pass the ball and create some decent plays for their teammates in the final third.
The talented trio of Jarrod Bowen, Nikola Vlasic and Andriy Yarmolenko will operate just ahead of them as part of Moyes’ attack. They will have to work hard towards supporting Michail Antonio in the attacking end of the field.
Declan Rice and Said Benrahma will be available for selection on the bench as they wait for their chance to impress in the second half if needed.
Attack
Michail Antonio will lead the line for the East London outfit up top. He failed to register a goal and got sent off against Southampton, so this game could be a good opportunity for him to return to form in front of the opponent’s goal.
