West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is set to stick to his guns and continue playing four at the back versus Everton as he welcomes back Mark Noble and Arthur Masuaku, according to journalist Sam Inkersole.
The football.london writer claimed in a live question and answer blog on the website (16:18) that the midfielder and left back, who missed the 1-0 defeat to Wolves through injury before the international break, are set to have recovered from their respective blows for the visit to the Toffees on Sunday.
It is also stated (15:59) that the Hammers faithful should not expect to see any major tactical changes after losing their first four league games, with Pellegrini said to be looking at continuing with the use of a back four instead of turning to a defensive five.
Opinion
Having Noble and Masuaku back to fitness is one thing but whether they deserve to step straight back into the starting XI after their absences is another thing entirely. The speedy left back probably should be brought back in, the Hammers having missed his pace against Wolves as Adama Traore took full advantage with his last minute winner. However the same cannot be said about Noble, who, despite his never-say-die attitude for the Irons, was one of the most criticised players in their opening few fixtures, and unless he has proven he has improved his form on the training pitch, there is no reason to throw him back into the team. Despite his struggles, Pellegrini may well be tempted to reintroduce him simply due to the fact that his midfield counterparts, including Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez, have also failed to live up to expectation, and the Chilean clearly does not know his best central pairing yet.