West Ham United may have to turn to forgotten man if Lucas Paqueta and Emerson are suspended.
If Lucas Paqueta and Emerson are both booked in the first game, West Ham may have to rely on forgotten man Maxwel Cornet in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Lucas Paqueta and Emerson have both received two yellow cards in the competition thus far, and a third would result in a one-match ban.
However, an injury to star forward Jarrod Bowen has already left the Hammers with little choices in attack. The Englishman was taken off early in the second half of their 2-1 win over Wolves and was replaced by left-back Aaron Cresswell, while Emerson was pushed forward into a left-wing slot.
If more players are absent, head coach David Moyes may need to rely on Cornet, a periphery member of the group.
Can Maxwel Cornet step up for West Ham?
Apart from the regular trio of Paqueta, Bowen, and Mohammed Kudus, Cornet is likely the most natural choice out wide.
The departures of Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals in January reduced Moyes’ options behind the centre-forward to the point where Emerson was required as an auxiliary winger against Wolves – though the Brazilian impressed in that role and arguably produced a stronger performance further forward than he did at full-back, seeing a goal harshly disallowed and winning a penalty.
If Emerson and Paqueta both receive yellow cards in the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, Moyes will be without both and Bowen for the second leg, barring a miraculous recovery.
If Cornet is called upon, it will be only his fourth start of the season in all competitions; his previous three were a 2-2 tie with Sheffield United in the Premier League, a 1-0 loss to Bristol City in the FA Cup, and a 1-0 victory over Lincoln City in the League Cup. In reality, the Frenchman has played only 326 minutes this season, indicating that Moyes does not believe in his abilities.
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In that time, he has one goal and one assist in the Europa League, both against the Blades and Backa Topola. That isn’t a bad return given his restricted minutes, but the sample size is way too small to draw any inferences.
If Cornet is to contribute positively to what could be West Ham’s most important game of the season, he will need to perform at a level that he has not yet demonstrated. Ideally, he will not have to.
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Aondofa Vershima 
Jonathan Jonathan