David Moyes has provided an injury report for Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio ahead of West Ham’s match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (17 February).
During his pre-match press conference on Friday (16 February, via Ben Dinnery), the Hammers manager confirmed that the Brazilian international is back on the pitch, but that the 26-year-old will not be fit for the City Ground game.
He added that Antonio has returned to the team and that the Irons would test the 33-year-old forward’s fitness ahead of the encounter, while Kurt Zouma and Edson Alvarez have been cleared to play against Forest.
West Ham receives mixed news about stars before of Nottingham Forest.
It’s obviously encouraging that Antonio appears to be returning against his former team after missing several months due to injury.
While Jarrod Bowen has done a decent job in the Jamaica international’s absence, West Ham have missed having a focal point leading the line and providing a presence to distract the opposition’s defenders.
It’s frustrating that Paqueta isn’t fully healthy yet, but it sounds like the attacking midfielder is getting closer and shouldn’t be too long before returning.
There had been doubts about Alvarez, but he should now be able to line up with captain Zouma as we attempt to recover from our terrible 6-0 defeat to Arsenal on February 11.
Moyes will understand how important it is for his players to respond against Forest, as it might have a huge impact on his career beyond this season.
