West Ham travel to Derby County on Monday evening in the FA Cup and David Moyes should unleash academy star Divin Mubama.

The Hammers have struggled in the Premier League so far this campaign and a cup run should be a welcome distraction for Moyes as he looks to put any rumours of his potential sacking to bed, and a win on Monday would be a great way to get back on track.

While things won't be easy against Paul Warne's in-form side, the east London side are still heavy favourites due to their Premier League status, although Moyes will have a difficult decision to make when selecting a striker to start at Pride Park.

Even if Danny Ings hadn't been injured in the win over Everton last time out, he would have been cup-tied for this game, which leaves Moyes short of actions in attack once again.

Reports have suggested that Michail Antonio could be on his way out of the London Stadium after losing his starting spot this season, while his form has also been disappointing in his rare appearances, averaging a poor 6.41 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League.

Gianluca Scamacca could also be in contention as he edges closer to a return from injury but against third-tier opposition, Moyes should really be looking to give some of his best youngsters some first-team minutes.

This must surely include Mubama, who has impressed on his two senior appearances this season, notably forcing an own goal in the win against FCSB earlier in the season.

He also boasts six goals in 11 Premier League 2 appearances so far this campaign, so is clearly in confident form and must be rewarded with a start in Moyes' side, or the Hammers could risk losing another talented youngster in the future.

West Ham's U18 assistant manager Gerard Prenderville was full of praise for the youngster in 2022.

He said: “It’s not only great to have Divin back on the pitch, but also in and around training sessions as well.

“I’ve coached him from a young age and he obviously loves to score goals, but he works really hard on it as well. To get him in and around the box, back firing and fully fit, is a real plus for any side.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Mubama deserves more first-team opportunities and with the current striker shortage, Monday looks like the perfect chance for Moyes to give him another start.