View: David Moyes must trust 100% fringe player v Newcastle amid key West Ham absence
West Ham United: David Moyes must start Divin Mubama v Newcastle United amid key absence
West Ham will be hoping to claim just their third Premier League victory of 2024 but will have to do so without a couple of key absences.
Having faltered in the league since the turn of the year, the Hammers find themselves seventh in the table, below Tottenham and Manchester United, with Brighton and Wolves hot on their heels.
Despite progressing to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will face the in-form Bayer Leverkusen, David Moyes’ men have claimed just two wins in their past 10 Premier League matches.
Who is David Moyes missing for West Ham United v Newcastle United?
Possibly the biggest miss for Moyes will be midfield maestro Edson Alvarez, who is suspended after picking up his 10th yellow card of the campaign against Aston Villa on Sunday 17 March.
Among midfielders in the top five European leagues, the Mexican ranks in the top 86 percentile for tackles, the top 98 percentile for blocks, and the top 99 percentile for clearances. [FBref]
The Hammers will struggle to find anyone who can do the job that Alvarez does.
With Kalvin Phillips and Tomas Soucek now the likeliest midfield duo to face the Magpies at St James’ Park on Saturday 30 March, it could be a huge struggle against the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock.
West Ham’s attack could also be set to suffer as Mohammed Kudus’ fitness remains uncertain, having remained at the club over the international break after sustaining a “minor knee problem”. [The Mirror]
This leaves Moyes with very few options, especially with Maxwel Cornet suffering from a lengthy injury. Whic means it is about time that the Scot utilised academy star Divin Mubama.
If Kudus is unavailable, the 19-year-old must start for the Hammers, injecting his lightning pace and dribbling ability into the game.
He has only been given one real chance to prove himself this season, replacing Lucas Paqueta during the 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup in January.
With 100 per cent shot accuracy and 74 per cent pass accuracy, as per FotMob, Mubama will certainly have felt he did enough to get another shot in the team, yet Moyes continues to overlook the player.
West Ham boss David Moyes at the London Stadium
David Moyes has been under heavy pressure at West Ham United and will be keen to defeat Newcastle United
Mubama on the wing would mean that Paqueta can be shifted into the midfield, where the Brazilian has thrived since returning from injury. However, many will predict that James Ward-Prowse will be brought into midfield, leaving Mubama high and dry once again.
Mubama’s situation at the London Stadium is an extremely concerning one, having not started a single Premier League match this season. Moyes must put any issues aside and deploy the teenage talent.
In other West Ham news, Gareth Southgate wanted to select a Hammers teammate of Jarrod Bowen’s for his latest squad.
