Exclusive: West Ham to face fresh Astra Giurgiu side after coach rests top players

West Ham face a tough trip to Romania

WEST HAM will face a fresh Astra Giurgiu side after their boss made Thursday's Europa League’s third qualifying round second leg tie a priority over the league.

Astra are sixth in their domestic league after three matches and will play against Viitorul Constanta, a club owned and coached by former Romania great Gheorghe Hagi.

“I'm not very interested in the game against Viitorul,” Astra’s coach Marius Sumudica said. 

“The second leg against West Ham is all that matters now.”

The Hammers face a daunting task after seeing their two-goal lead in the first leg slip with the Romanians scoring twice in the last 20 minutes, including a comical own goal from Angelo Ogbonna.

 

A section of West Ham fans vented their frustration by booing at the final whistle.

James Collins became the third player to be sent off in five games under coach Slaevn Bilic, who was also dismissed by the referee in the closing stages.

Collins, however, will not be West Ham’s only absentee in the return leg with Ecuador forward Enner Valencia – the scorer of the first goal in the 2-2 draw, sustaining right knee injury in the first half.

Sumudica plans to include only three of the players, who started against West Ham, in his starting XI against Viitorul – keeper Silviu Lung Jp, Japanese midfielder Takayuki Sato and Brazilian left winger William De Amorim.