JESSE LINGARD will not be available to face Liverpool on Sunday after West Ham failed to complete his loan move from Manchester United in time to meet the noon deadline.
The season-long switch needed to be registered with the Premier League by midday today in order for the midfielder to be available to take on the champions.
Jesse Lingard won’t be in West Ham’s squad to face Liverpool Credit: Getty Images – Getty
But boss David Moyes has revealed the paperwork and formalities were not done in time, so Lingard will have to wait until next week to make his first appearance in a Hammers shirt.
The 28-year-old arrived in London early this morning to go through his medical, but while there are no issues with it, the process has taken longer than hoped.
The Hammers boss said: “Well he’s here doing a medical at the moment but it’s not completed just yet.”
It means Moyes will have to wait to ease the United star into his plans, with the Hammers looking to move back into the top four by beating Liverpool.
Victory over the champions will see them climb above Jurgen Klopp’s side, and confirm they are no flash in the pan after a run which has so far seen them win their last six games in all competitions.
The intention is to have Lingard available to boost the options right across the midfield, and may even further advanced up the field.
But it looks as though the Hammers will have to go to the end of the season without replacing Seb Haller up front – which leaves Michail Antonio as the only recognised striker in the club.
Moyes added: “If the Jessie deal goes through then it Jesse will give us more options, more attacking options as far as he can play in probably nearly all the positions along the front line, he can play as a midfield player as well.
Lingard all-but confirmed his move to West Ham on Instagram
“We’ve seen Yarmolenko come in and do OK for us at centre forward.
“I don’t want to be in a position where I go and bring somebody just for the sake of it. And I’ve always said that if I can look within my own group to find solutions I’ll try and do so.
“But we can’t deny we would have liked another striker, and we have tried to submit an offer for one or two players who we’d have like to have got but for different reasons they’ve not been gettable.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
