We need to take a healthy lead to Romania next week, seeing as our first Premier League game is only three days later. Ideally, therefore we wouldn’t play our strongest side in Romania, leaving our key players at home. So Thursday’s match takes on a huge importance. We need to have a two goal lead and not allow them to score. Easier said than done.
So this is the side I would play. Kevin Nolan would not feature as he has been a huge disappointment so far. His non selection would be a big sign that he couldn’t be considered an automatic first team choice, and after his outburst last week, he’d have to make his own decisions about his future. I still think he would make a good makeweight in a deal for Charlie Austin, along with Matt Jarvis.
Diego Poyet has more than made a case for him replacing Nolan, if Obiang is still injured. Carl Jenkinson hasn’t featured in any games yet, and although he may well play against Norwich tomorrow, Thursday may come too soon for him. The same may be said for Enner Valencia, although he did play against Charlton.
Talking of the Norwich game, I am in Norfolk at the moment so will be trotting on down to Carrow Road tomorrow, where I expect to see a West Ham team full of players who won’t be in the starting eleven on Thursday. Hopefully the lineup will look something like this…
Randolph, Reid, Collins, Hendrie, Page, Oxford, Cullen, Samuelsen, Amalfitano, Lanzini, Lee.
UPDATE: I have revised the team to play Astra as several of you pointed out that Sakho is still suspended, and so is James Tomkins, following his sending off in Malta.