David Moyes has addressed fears and frustrations over West Ham star Mohammed Kudus ahead of the clash with fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.
There have been concerns over new West Ham star Mohammed Kudus this week ahead of the trip to Aston Villa.
West Ham have had much the better of this particular fixture in the last decade, losing just once in the Premier League to Aston Villa in 14 matches since 2013.
It is a very different Villa this season under Unai Emery. But the same can be said of West Ham - who have 10 points more than the same stage last season with their new-look team.
Villa currently occupy that place in the table approaching the quarter-way point of the campaign. And West Ham are just two points and two places below in seventh.
West Ham fans have been buzzing ever since the club somehow beat off a host of top sides to land Kudus in a PS38m deal from Ajax in the summer.
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David Moyes has been drip-feeding the Black Stars sensation into West Ham's games so far.
That has been much to the frustration for some Hammers supporters who want to see Kudus unleashed where it matters most - the Premier League.
Kudus announced himself with a thumping last gasp equaliser after coming on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle before the international break.
Now Moyes has addressed fears and frustrations over West Ham star Kudus ahead of the clash with fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Scot had great news for Hammers fans. Because not only does Moyes say Kudus is fit, firing and available but that he's also 'very close' to his first Premier League start for West Ham.
"He is very close to playing," Moyes said as reported on the club's website.
"But to be fair to him, he was close when he arrived.
"Sometimes players come in at different levels of fitness and you need time to figure out where they are at, but Mo could play now (if he needed to) and he has been playing.
"The internationals all seem okay (fitness wise). We've seen two of them today (Friday) for the first time, which is not ideal, but the game being on Sunday helps us a little bit."
Moyes allaying those Kudus injury fears comes after Hammers News reported an update from an American journalist who suggested he had been subbed purely for tactical reasons in the friendly drubbing against the USA.
This morning we suggested Moyes must play Kudus or Jarrod Bowen up front against Villa to exploit Emery's naive tactical plan for the Hammers.
Meanwhile pundits Paul Merson and Chris Sutton are in agreement over what they've noticed about West Ham and their predictions for the Villa clash.