West Ham injury crisis provides major boost for Newcastle to start season

West Ham might be without two key players when they host Newcastle United on opening day.

The 2020-21 Premier League campaign will be underway next weekend on September 12th. Newcastle United will begin their season in London against David Moyes’ West Ham.

The Magpies took four points off the Hammers last season with a 3-2 victory in London and a 2-2 draw on Tyneside.

The difference in quality between the two sides is minimal, and both sets of fans will see this as a winnable game for their respective clubs. Every team is currently in the process of adding some final touches to their squads before the new season begins.

Newcastle United have been hit with some injuries to Martin Dubravka and Dwight Gayle, which will require players like Karl Darlow and former West Ham striker Andy Carroll to step up for the Toon.

According to the latest reports, Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson are on the verge of joining Newcastle United this week, and this would be massive for Steve Bruce and his team.

West Ham, on the other hand, are also dealing with some injuries they wish could have been avoided. According to a report from Football.London, star players Issa Diop and Declan Rice might miss this clash on opening day.

Without the aggressive Frenchman and creative England international, West Ham will struggle to orchestrate meaningful attacks in the final third and contain players like Jonjo Shelvey, Miguel Almiron, and Allan Saint-Maximin on the other end of the pitch.

If Fraser and Wilson join the Magpies as is expected, the odds of Newcastle United claiming three points increases significantly.

It remains to be seen if Diop and Rice can recover in time. If they fail to do so, Moyes will most likely field the same team that drew 1-1 with Aston Villa at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.