Joao Mario made his West Ham debut against Wigan on Saturday.
Angelo Ogbonna has told West Ham United’s official website that the odds were stacked against Joao Mario starring in his first appearance for the east Londoners, but predicted that the Inter Milan loanee will shine on Tuesday night.
The Hammers play host to Crystal Palace on Tuesday night at the London Stadium in what is a crucial match in terms of the lower third of the Premier League table, as the Hammers look to remain adrift of a relegation dogfight.
Euro 2016 winner Mario came off the bench to replace Pedro Obiang at half-time on Saturday afternoon, but could not affect the result as the Hammers went down to 10 men before suffering a 2-0 loss to League One side Wigan.
With the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini and now Obiang sidelined, Moyes is likely to give 25-year-old Mario his first start in claret and blue since joining from Inter on loan until the end of the season.
“Joao looks good not just for me, but for the whole team,” Ogbonna said. “He is a good player, he keeps the ball.
“He didn’t get the chance to show himself in Saturday’s game, especially when you are one man down, as you cannot take the whole team on your shoulders [in your first appearance]. I think on Tuesday he is going to show his qualities.
“To adapt, I think everything is mental and he is already prepared for this change. He spoke already with Jose Fonte and with me. We have a lot of different people to talk to him, including the captain [Mark Noble], and it is our job to help him.”
Mario was allowed to join West Ham this month after falling down the pecking order at the San Siro, under the likes of Antonio Candreva and Ivan Perisic among others.
Now, he joins a beleaguered side suffering with multiple injuries in the final third, with a lack of creativity also emanating from the Hammers’ recent performances. Mario could change that, according to Ogbonna, on Tuesday night.
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