West Ham United captain Mark Noble could be in line to feature in the London derby versus Tottenham Hotspur. The 32-year-old suffered an ankle injury during the clubs recent defeat at Burnley and could be out for a number of weeks.
However, the club remain hopeful the midfielder can recover in time to play some part in the upcoming fixture.
A senior source at the club told Claret and Hugh: “He could be out for several weeks with an outside chance he could make it on to the bench for the game against Spurs”.
TIF Tactics – How has Noble faired this season?
At a time where the team are struggling, having their leader available for selection could provide the group with a lift. Noble has made ten league appearances this season, managing 738 minutes and scoring one goal.
The industrious midfielder has picked up two yellow cards and has a pass completion rate of 84.9% according to WhoScored.com. His average performance rating this season is 6.38/10 and he averages 0.7 shots per goal.
Despite the club remaining hopeful on Noble’s availability for the Spurs fixture, there is a strong possibility it will come around a little too soon. However, with difficult fixtures coming up against Chelsea, Wolves and Arsenal, the Hammers will need to make the most of their squad and, therefore, patience as far as the captain is concerned could be the sensible approach.