After a patchy run of form in the Premier League, West Ham could be about to get a much-needed boost.
Manuel Pellegrini has been without a host of players due to injury, but two of those absentees now look close to making a first-team return.
The Breakdown
Football.London reports both Manuel Lanzini and summer signing Fabian Balbuena are likely to be part of the West Ham squad set to travel to Spain this week for a training camp in a development that could be massive for the club’s season.
Lanzini has yet to feature under Pellegrini after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty with the Argentina national team just before last year’s World Cup, but remains an ideal fit for the sort of football the Chilean is trying to deliver at the London Stadium.
The 25-year-old is a very technical player, capable of dribbling past opposition defenders and keeping the ball under control, making him the sort of No.10 Pellegrini loves to build his team around.
Meanwhile, Balbuena has been solid at the back this campaign, forming a strong central defensive partnership with Issa Diop before his injury.
If Pellegrini can get the duo up and running again, West Ham should be on course for a bright finish to the season.
