Manuel Pellegrini has said Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop will be his first choice centre backs for the foreseeable future after admitting he made a mistake in playing Fabian Balbuena at the start of the season.
The Paraguayan was one of the last players to return to pre-season training following the summer off-season as he was involved in the Copa America tournament with his country.
Balbuena missed the first three pre-season friendlies, returning for the win over Fulham at Craven Cottage but missed out on the training camps in Switzerland and the Premier League Asia Trophy trip to China.
That said, he was thrown in from the start on opening weekend as the Hammers were trounced 5-0 by reigning champions Manchester City at London Stadium.
Balbuena hasn't started a Premier League game since as Pellegrini has preferred to use Ogbonna alongside Diop despite Balbuena and the Frenchman performing well at as a duo last season.
The manager admitted it was his mistake to play Balbuena after a disrupted pre-season and now, Ogbonna and Diop are his number ones.
The boss told football.london: "The reason was that Fabian Balbuena couldn't work too much in the pre-season. He arrived from his national squad late and he played just one [full] game.
"That was my mistake to play with him in the first game because I trusted too much in what he can do, but it was too soon for him. Now he is trying to return to his normal performance, working hard.
"Angelo worked with Diop the complete pre-season and now they are the two centre-backs who must play."
The pairing of Ogbonna and Diop lined up once again for the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Monday night, with Ogbonna in particular delivering a fine display as the ten-men of West Ham held on for a point after Arthur Masuaku was sent for an early bath by referee Mike Dean midway through the second half.
