Vladimir Coufal in line for West Ham return

Posted Tuesday, January 11, 2022 by PA

Vladimir Coufal could return for West Ham when they host Norwich.

The Czech right-back was absent for the FA Cup win over Leeds on Sunday.

Fellow defenders Kurt Zouma, Aaron Cresswell and Angelo Ogbonna are out injured and Said Benrahma is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria.

Norwich are missing a number of players, with Billy Gilmour the latest on the treatment table.

The Chelsea loanee sustained an ankle injury in training last week which saw him sit out the 1-0 win at Charlton on Sunday. Dean Smith was already without Christoph Zimmermann (ankle), Andrew Omobamidele (back), Lukas Rupp (hamstring), Mathias Normann (pelvis) and Jonathan Rowe (Covid-19).

A boost for the Canaries was Tim Krul, Grant Hanley, Milot Rashica and Teemu Pukki being involved in the FA Cup success and they are set to start in the capital, while Todd Cantwell will need to be assessed after a recent absence due to illness.

West Ham provisional squad: Fabianksi, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Johnson, Rice, Soucek, Lanzini, Vlasic, Bowen, Antonio, Areola, Fredericks, Baptiste, Masuaku, Noble, Fornals, Yarmolenko.

Norwich provisional squad: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams, Lees-Melou, Sorensen, McLean, Sargent, Pukki, Rashica, Gunn, Byram, Kabak, Giannoulis, Dowell, Cantwell, Placheta, Tzolis, Idah, McGovern.