Southampton: West Ham handed boost ahead of Saints game
By Chris Hughes
With a week to go until Southampton’s must-win clash against West Ham, the Irons have been handed a boost to their injury-ridden squad.
West Ham are currently 17th after slipping down the table meaning they could easily fall into the relegation zone if they lose their game against Southampton next weekend.
The Saints may be able to welcome back Charlie Austin for the encounter, giving the club a significant boost ahead of a true relegation six-pointer.
But the Hammers themselves will be able welcome back two of their first team players for the match against Mark Hughes’ side, with Arthur Masuaku and Edmilson Fernandes both available for selection next week.
The former was previously suspended for six games for spitting incident whilst Fernandes has been injured since the tail end of last year.
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Whilst neither of the two are considered West Ham’s star players, the Hammers will be grateful to welcome back senior players with David Moyes’ side having been plagued with injuries since his arrival.
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As a result the Hammers have teetered above the relegation zone, despite initially pushing themselves up to mid-table.
The Saints meanwhile have fallen into the bottom three as a result of not playing in the last game-week due to their FA Cup commitments.
Southampton progressed as a result of Cedric Soares and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s strikes, but now face a serious fixture congestion next month.
The game against West Ham this Saturday is the fourth of what was originally seen as five winnable fixtures by the Saints fanbase – the side picked up just two points form their first three games and the Swansea match has had to be rearranged.
Therefore this weekend’s game against the Irons is more important than ever, and Hughes will want to get off to winning start in the league with the Saints. However, the task will be that much tougher with Moyes now able to welcome back to of his first-team players.