West Ham have seemingly revealed the back line which is set to start against Stoke on Saturday in an embarrassing Twitter gaffe that indicates a return for long-time absentee James Collins.
The Hammers travel to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to build upon two promising results, a 2-1 win over Chelsea followed by a 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
Opponents Stoke are looking for only their third win in 11 Premier League games, and a West Ham win would see the Potters drop below their opponents in the table.
The Hammers now seem to have accidentally revealed their starting back five after they posted a promotional image titled #AdriansWall on Twitter:
The image has now been deleted from their account, but not before eagle-eyed fans spotted the gaffe, and it seems to confirm West Ham’s starting defence for the crucial Premier League clash.
Adrian is obviously set to start in goal again, with Pablo Zabaleta set to line up on the right as normal, and Arthur Masuaku lining up on the opposite flank.
With Winston Reid suspended and Jose Fonte a long-term absentee, Aaron Cresswell is set to start in a more central role, alongside Angelo Ogbonna.
James Collins looks set to complete the central trio, making his first appearance for the club since the 16th of September after a spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
OPINION
All things considered, this is a relatively strong back line for David Moyes. The return of Collins is a timely boost after the suspension of Reid, and the Welsh international provides some much-needed leadership qualities to this defence. Masuaku has been in great form recently, and the Hammers will hope he can bomb down the left-wing and provide some real threat in attack. With regards to the Twitter gaffe, this is probably the most obvious defence to choose from the options available, and shouldn’t be too damaging to West Ham’s chances against the Potters.