Can Danny Ings play against Manchester United? Many West Ham fans are wondering ahead of the FA Cup 5th round.
The Hammers will be looking to build on their emphatic 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening as David Moyes looks to knock his old side out of the FA Cup.
However, West Ham will have to find a way to reach the Quarter-Final stage without Ings.
Why Danny Ings can’t play for West Ham against Manchester United
Well, the England international scored his first two goals for West Ham since his £15m move from Aston Villa in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Sadly, Ings cannot build on that stunning display as he is cup-tied for the trip to Old Trafford.
The 30-year-old played 72 minutes of Aston Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Stevenage on Sunday 8th January, providing the assist for Morgan Sanson to open the scoring at Villa Park.
As a result, Ings cannot play for West Ham in the FA Cup.
While that is sure to disappoint Moyes and the West Ham fans, there are still two quality options to call upon.
Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca are both available for the FA Cup 5th round clash against Manchester United, which represents a chance for one of them to step up in the absence of Ings.
The Italy international has only scored seven goals in 24 appearances since his £35.5m move from Sassuolo.
In regards to Antonio, the Jamaica international has scored seven goals as well, while also providing four assists in his 31 outings across all competitions.
If both fail to take advantage of the opportunity at Old Trafford, then we wouldn’t be surprised to see Ings walk straight back into the starting XI for West Ham’s Premier League encounter with Brighton on Saturday.
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