The busy football schedule towards the end of the calendar year can be brilliant for football supporters, but a nightmare for managers.
That is likely going to be the case for West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini, as he aims to get a result against Leicester City without causing injuries to his players.
Having lost against Crystal Palace due to Jordan Ayew’s late goal, there may have been a temptation to change things around a little bit anyway.
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With that in mind, here is our predicted XI for the Hammers’ clash against Leicester, which includes five changes.
Manuel Pellegrini has offered an indication that Lukasz Fabianski may be ready to face the Foxes following a long time out with a hip injury. If the Poland international is available, it is hard to imagine that Pellegrini would leave him out.
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Ryan Fredericks is once again available, after missing the Boxing Day loss through an accumulation of yellow cards, so he should slot straight back into the team.
Issa Diop hasn’t started any of West Ham’s last five games and that run may continue here, with Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena staying at the heart of the defence.
It is Aaron Cresswell’s turn to miss out due to the number of yellows he has picked up, which should mean that Arthur Masuaku comes in to replace him.
Pablo Fornals and Declan Rice keep their places in the midfield, despite the loss on Boxing Day at Selhurst Park, as do the forward pair of Sebastien Haller and Michail Antonio.
It is Robert Snodgrass who scored the goal against Palace, but at 32 years old, Pellegrini may be tempted to rest him to avoid fatigue, especially after the Brazilian managed four dribbles during his 15-minute appearance when returning from injury.
Manuel Lanzini came on for the final 25 minutes against Palace and he could replace Mark Noble in the team, following similar thinking to that regarding Snodgrass.
In other news, FFC has suggested two transfer priorities for West Ham in January.