Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that captain Mark Noble and Michail Antonio will be available to play for West Ham United in this weekend’s Premier League match with Tottenham Hotspur.
Antonio has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury in the Carabao Cup victory over Newport County in September while midfielder Noble hobbled out of West Ham’s last Premier League match away to Burnley with a twisted ankle.
However, manager Pellegrini has offered good news with the pair set to be in the matchday squad on Saturday against Jose Mourinho’s Spurs.
They are important players for us. Antonio has had a long injury and he is a player that makes a difference in attack. Mark Noble is the captain of the team too
Manuel Pellegrini
“Both of them worked with the whole week without any problem,” Pellegrini said. “They will be involved in the game on Saturday.
“Of course, they are important players for us. Antonio has had a long injury and he is a player that makes a difference in attack. Mark Noble is the captain of the team too. Both of them will be in the squad list and are able to play.”
The West Ham manager also expressed his support for goalkeeper Roberto, who has played in the absence of Lukasz Fabianski, saying the Spaniard retains the support of everyone involved at the Club.
The shot-stopper experienced a mixed afternoon in the defeat at Turf Moor but Pellegrini trusts in Roberto and his experience between the sticks.
He continued: “Every player, when they are in a bad moment, needs the support of the fans behind them, especially in a special position like goalkeeper.
“Roberto is a player with a lot of experience in different countries and he knows that it was not maybe his best performance in the last game. I think, all of us – the fans, the players and the staff – must trust in him.
“You always have different options in your squad. There are a lot of different options to talk about, different persons, and we will decide which will be in the starting XI.”
