If West Ham United fails to qualify for the AFCON in the upcoming season, David Moyes has a fairly easy fix.
West Ham manager David Moyes might be without four players for the better part of a month as the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway in January.
In the event that they all qualify and are chosen for their respective squads, Said Benrahma (Algeria), Mohammed Kudus (Ghana), Maxwel Cornet (Ivory Coast), and Nayef Aguerd (Morocco) might be competing for their nations at AFCON this winter.
The fact that two of those players are natural left wingers and Kudus can also play there is the true cause for concern.
Pablo Fornals is undoubtedly an option, but I think the actual answer for the Hammers lies there in front of Moyes.
David Moyes has a really simple solution to West Ham United’s potential AFCON woes
Following two victories in the Premier League with four points each, West Ham traveled to face Brighton.
With Lucas Paqueta out on the left wing, Moyes lined up a midfield three of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Tomas Soucek.
When the West Ham three of Benrahma, Kudus, and Cornet are away at the AFCON in January, Moyes will undoubtedly travel along this route.
With that particular setup, we won’t play very attractive football, but we’ll still be tough to beat.
Of course, Moyes can also choose to add another left winger to his squad when the January transfer window opens. However, given how notoriously challenging it is to acquire decent value in January, I’m just not sure it will happen.
The Scot must ensure that his key players remain healthy for the most of the season if we are to stand any chance of placing inside the top four.
And in light of that, Moyes would have been alarmed by a recent injury to one of his on-field generals.
