David Moyes has been tipped to drop Mark Noble from his plans and start outcast midfielder Manuel Lanzini in West Ham United’s trip to Arsenal on Saturday night.
Moyes is potentially set to tackle the Gunners affair without captain Noble available for selection, after the Irons icon sustained a toe injury during the week that the Evening Standard understand will be assessed ahead of kick-off.
Noble has had injections in the injured toe to try and manage the pain but may not be in a position to feature at the Emirates Stadium, where former Arsenal ace Jack Wilshere will also be on the sidelines nursing an ankle problem.
The captain’s potential unavailability has led the Evening Standard to suggest that Lanzini could be the man looked at by Moyes to start against the Gunners in our creative midfield role, having favoured Noble for the position during last week’s curtain-raiser defeat at home to Newcastle United.
Noble recorded 31 touches of the ball at home to the Magpies before being taken off in the 67th-minute in a double change that saw Sebastian Haller and Andriy Yarmolenko enter the action as Pablo Fornals likewise made way.
Should Moyes start Lanzini v Arsenal if Noble is injured?
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Noble, who earns £50,000-per-week on a deal due to expire next summer, also registered 16 accurate passes from 23 attempts, no key balls, shots, dribbles or tackles attempted against Steve Bruce’s Toon, per WhoScored, while Lanzini watched on as an unused substitute.
Lanzini featuring at the Emirates on Saturday night could potentially go down as one of his final appearances for West Ham, having been constantly linked with moves away this summer having been identified as one of the fringe players Moyes is keen to offload.
The boss identified Lanzini as someone he believed we can make do without early in the summer, but has thus far failed to see the £14.4m-rated man become the focus of firm offers.
Lanzini made 24 Premier League appearances last season, in which he contributed three assists but no goals and penned his total goal involvement for the campaign during the first 11 games.
