MX23RW : Monday, March 11 23:07:10
Mar 9, 2019 at 3pm UK at ​Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 32,458
CardiffCardiff City
2-0
West HamWest Ham United
Hoilett (4'), Camarasa (52')
FT(HT: 1-0)

West Ham boss Pellegrini pleased with Hernandez form

West Ham boss Pellegrini pleased with Hernandez form
© Reuters
After a spell on the bench, the Mexico international has started four of the Hammers' last five matches.

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is set to keep faith with Javier Hernandez at Cardiff on Saturday after praising the striker's recent contribution.

Mexico international Hernandez has at times cut a frustrated figure since moving to the London Stadium for £16million in July 2017.

Struggling for game time under both Pellegrini and previous manager David Moyes, Hernandez was heavily linked with a switch to Spain in January.

But that move did not materialise and Hernandez has started four of West Ham's last five matches, helping his side pick up wins over Fulham and Newcastle and draws with Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

Goals have been hard to come by, his only one this year arriving via a controversial handball against Fulham, but nevertheless Pellegrini has been impressed with the 30-year-old's impact.

"I've been very pleased," said Pellegrini. "Javier is in a good moment, he is committed to the team, he is making good movements in attacking.

"Maybe, as all strikers, they want to score more goals but he is always involved in plays that allow us to score.

"We also have Marko Arnautovic coming back so we have options for the starting XI and also for the bench."

Hernandez's form has delayed Arnautovic's reintegration into the first team following his flirtation with China during the transfer window.

The Austrian forward has started just one match since agreeing a new contract in January, and is set to be on the bench again at Cardiff.

However, Pellegrini is happy to have some rare selection dilemmas towards the end of a season which has seen as many as 10 first-teamers out injured at the same time.

"I always say that for a manager it is more difficult when you don't have players," he added.

"Maybe one of them for different reasons must wait, or they can play both together, but having good options is a solution for me, not a problem."

Pellegrini can welcome back Paraguayan centre-half Fabian Balbuena, who has been sidelined since December with a knee injury.


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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City30242479215874
2Liverpool30227168175173
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs30201957322561
4Arsenal30186663392460
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd30177658401858
6Chelsea29176650311957
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves30128103836244
8Watford30127114244-243
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham30116133743-639
10Leicester CityLeicester30115143842-438
11Everton30107134142-137
12Bournemouth30114154154-1337
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3097142938-934
14Crystal Palace3096153641-533
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2996143242-1033
16Southampton3079143450-1630
17Burnley3086163457-2330
18Cardiff CityCardiff3084182757-3028
19Fulham3045212868-4017
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield3035221553-3814

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