On the face of it Brighton and Hove Albion’s visit to London Stadium on Saturday is a game with a result that is difficult to call. Whilst Brighton are sitting ninth in the Premier league with 24 points, their recent form is dicey: draw-loss-draw-loss being their last four games. West Ham United’s ‘loss-loss-win-draw’ is hardly earth-shattering but the difference could well come down to the relative fitness of the two squads.
Hammers have only long-term Antonio plus Carlos Soler missing, the Spaniard suspended for the game; Emerson returns hopefully giving the Irons their best opportunity for solidity in the back line.
Jean Clair Todibo I don’t count as ‘injured’, incidentally: I suspect he was on the ‘naughty step’ against Bournemouth even though there was a claim he ‘had a bad toe’. Fingers crossed there is a dressing-room truce so that he can start instead of the hapless Mavropanos.
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Brighton’s injury list is waaaay more significant. According to sussexexpress.co.uk :
Danny Welbeck, along with :”Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu (toe) and Jack Hinshelwood (knee) remain absent, as do James Milner (hamstring), Adam Webster (hamstring) and Solly March (knee).” Will all be absent whilst :”Joel Veltman, who missed the last four matches with a muscular injury, is fit to face the Hammers. Matt O’Riley, who also missed the Palace defeat with an unspecified issue, is back in full training and will be assessed ahead of the trip to London.”
West Ham’s woes this season don’t extend to dreadful injury problems. In a BBC Sport report last week a ‘Premier League table of injuries’ was produced and the contrast between Brighton and West Ham is both surprising and of great advantage to the Irons:
Brighton sit top with, shockingly, the worst injury record in the Premier League
Very happy to be bottom of this league table!
Yet West Ham sit bottom of this table with the fewest days lost through injuries. Whether that is luck or good recovery sports-science and coaching, who knows but with the oldest squad in the Premier League it is nothing short of remarkable. Probably one of the few benefits of Lopetegui chopping and changing his starting eleven every week!
Further levelling of the playing field for West Ham on Saturday – Brighton maybe higher in the league with more points but as far as momentum is concerned, I’d say it is much more difficult to call.
Having a near-fully fit squad to choose from and therefore a stronger bench may prove to be enough for Lopetegui’s side.