West Ham United will reportedly be without Javier Hernandez for their next three games, leaving David Moyes with a major decision to make.
With David Moyes hoping to get off to a flying start following his appointment that attracted plenty of criticism, not having Hernandez available will undoubtedly be a massive blow.
However, with Moyes obviously under little pressure for his job right now, it may be the best time for the Scotsman to take a gamble in the hope that it gives one of the Hammers’ worst performing players a new lease of life.
Marko Arnautovic has struggled to make any impact since arriving at the London Stadium in the summer for £25 million and has already been linked by the Daily Mirror with a move away from the club in January.
Arnautovic has predominantly featured in a wider role, so perhaps Moyes should give him the chance to play through the middle leading the line in the hope that it brings the best out of him.
The Austrian proved at Stoke that he is a talented player, and he often proved a goal threat when playing as a striker – something that he has not exactly been given the chance to do following his summer switch.
Moyes – unless something ridiculous happens – will not be sacked because of a few bad results to kick off his tenure, and to be honest, in Hernandez’s absence, there are no standout candidates to replace him, except youngster Toni Martinez perhaps, so taking a gamble on starting Arnautovic up front may not be a bad idea.
His stock could not really be lower right now, so trying something different when a change has to be made may help the 28-year-old show signs that he can salvage his West Ham spell.
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