West Ham XI vs AZ Alkmaar: Confirmed team news, injury latest, predicted lineup for semi-final decider today
The pair have travelled with the rest of David Moyes’s first-team squad to the Netherlands, where West Ham are looking to reach a first European final in 47 years in the Europa Conference League having earned a 2-1 first-leg lead at the London Stadium last week.
Antonio scored the winning goal in that game but limped off with a calf problem and sat out the weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Brentford on Sunday as a precaution.
Right-back Coufal, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City at the start of the month and has missed the Hammers’ last three matches.
“Micky’s [Antonio] travelled, so has Vladimir,” Moyes confirmed at his pre-match press conference in Alkmaar on Wednesday. “They’re both doing well so they’re both in with a chance of playing.”
If fit to start, Antonio is certain to return to lead the line, but Coufal may struggle to displace Thilo Kehrer at right-back, the German’s form having improved in recent weeks.
Moyes may reverse all nine of the changes he made for the Brentford defeat, though Angelo Ogbonna is pushing to partner Kurt Zouma after Nayef Aguerd endured a difficult afternoon at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Striker Gianluca Scamacca is West Ham’s only known definite absentee at present, having undergone knee surgery last month.
Predicted West Ham XI (4-3-3): Areola; Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice, Paqueta; Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.
