West Ham without five players for Leicester City Premier League clash. West Ham will once again be without Lucas Paqueta when they host struggling Leicester on Thursday night
West Ham will be without star midfielder Lucas Paqueta when they host struggling Leicester City. The Brazilian missed out on the Hammers’ unexpected victory at Arsenal last Saturday due to an ankle injury sustained in training.
Boss Graham Potter had hoped Paqueta would be fit to face the Foxes, but the issue persists. Right-back, Vladimir Coufal, is also sidelined for Thursday’s match with a thigh injury.
Both are progressing, but both won’t make the squad on Thursday, but they’re making progress,” Potter said. “Vladi certainly has a chance for Newcastle next Monday. With Lucas, we’ll just have to see how he responds, but certainly for Leicester, no.”
Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug are also absent with thigh problems, while Michail Antonio continues to work his way back from injuries sustained in a car crash.
West Ham are eyeing the opportunity to claim successive Premier League victories for the first time since March, but they’ve stumbled in their last two home games, losing out to Crystal Palace and Brentford. “We haven’t cracked it yet, but we’ve got belief and we’ll keep working. Every game in the Premier League is tough, and Leicester have quality and will be looking to turn their fortunes around.
“We have to have humility and a respect for the opponent, which we have, but we need everything like every other game.
“Every team wants to do well in front of their own supporters. It’s not that straightforward, but we want to do better in front of our fans.
“To get results, you need some consistency around performances. We haven’t been able to do that, but Thursday is an opportunity to do that. We’re looking to play well and get the result, and build that togetherness.”
