West Ham United have been busy over the summer with Slaven Bilic reshaping his squad for a season he hoped would include European football.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
The Hammers were linked with all and sundry over the last few months as the club geared up for its inaugural season at the 60,000-seater Olympic Stadium – now referred to as the London Stadium.
The former Croatia manager had been building to ensure he had enough depth to compete at home and abroad, but his side were embarrassingly dumped out by Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the fourth qualifying round of the Europa League.
The East Londoners were actually one of the busiest clubs of the window. Bilic kicked things off by releasing the likes Alex Song, Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses from loan deals.
He also sanctioned the £10 million sale of defender James Tomkins to London rivals Crystal Palace.
Simone Zaza is West Ham’s big name summer signing
A baker’s dozen for injury-hit West Ham
The Hammers have brought in 13 players. They signed Manuel Lanzini, Havard Nordtveit, Toni Martinez, Domingos Quina, Sofiane Feghouli, Ashley Fletcher, Gokhan Tore (loan), Arthur Masuaku, Jonathan Calleri (loan), Edimilson Ferdnandes, Alvaro Arbeloa and broke their transfer record with the £20.5 signing of Andre Ayew from Swansea City.
A wave of injuries have not only derailed Bilic’s best laid European plans but also made for a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign with two defeats from the opening three games – albeit on the road against rejuvenated Chelsea and Manchester City.
A combination of departures, the need to strengthen and those injuries have left Bilic – on paper at least – with a large squad and arguably the strongest in West Ham’s recent history.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini celebrates with Dimitri Payet
Star players on the way back to full fitness
While the likes of Andre Ayew and Aaron Cresswell are long-term absentees the Hammers should be getting the likes of Sofiane Feghouli, Andy Carroll, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini back in action in the coming weeks.
It will leave Bilic with a welcome selection headache for a change.
But this is how West Ham could line-up with their strongest team available, and it is some side, and one which could launch an outside bid for Champions League football given the East Londoners came so close last season finishing just four points behind fourth placed Manchester City.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
Selection headache looms for Bilic
You can see from the side below it leaves Bilic with some excruciating decisions to make.
Like whether to sacrifice Mark Noble for the infinitely more talented but less robust Lanzini or whether to play in-form England new boy Michail Antonio, one of West Ham’s best players over the last year.
And where does that leave new signings Arthur Masuaku who has been fantastic since he arrived from Olympiakos or Feghouli who was a shrewd free transfer capture from Valencia?
Here’s how Bilic will most likely line-up with everyone available but feel free to pitch in and have your say.
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