Flynn Downes, Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell are recalled to the starting XI as West Ham United make four changes for our trip to Manchester City on Wednesday evening.
Downes is set for a first Premier League start since a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in February, while Kehrer is named in a league starting XI for the first time since a 2-2 draw against Arsenal last month.
Ogbonna and Cresswell, the other two changes from the 4-3 defeat by Crystal Palace, kept a clean sheet on their last league outing as a duo in a 1-0 win over Fulham in early April.
As a result, Kurt Zouma, who picked up an ankle injury last Saturday, misses out. Captain Declan Rice, Tomáš Souček and Nayef Aguerd are likewise all absent, with the reason why to be confirmed by manager David Moyes in his pre-match media duties.
Making his 400th appearance in English football, Łukasz Fabiański keeps his place between the sticks, with Alphonse Areola and Joseph Anang named as the other two stoppers in the matchday squad.
Appearance number 105 for West Ham sees Vladimír Coufal line up alongside Ogbonna, Kehrer, Cresswell and Emerson.
Downes makes his 18th Premier League appearance in Claret and Blue, with Jarrod Bowen, who made his 150th Club outing against Crystal Palace, Paquetá and Pablo Fornals the other midfielders in Moyes’ starting XI.
Searching for his 75th goal in Claret and Blue, Michail Antonio will lead the line for a seventh consecutive league outing, with the No9 last on the scoresheet against the Citizens in a 2-1 defeat here in 2020/21.
Scorer of the Club’s most recent goal at the Etihad last season, Manuel Lanzini is part of a substitutes’ bench that also seats Ben Johnson, Maxwel Cornet, Saïd Benrahma and Danny Ings as well as goalkeepers Areola and Anang.
Cornet has four goals in five career appearances against City, all scored for Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester City: Ortega, Walker ©, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland, Alvarez
Subs: Ederson (GK), Laporte, Gomez, Akanji, Lewis, Phillips, Gundogan, Perrone, Foden
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Cresswell ©, Emerson, Bowen, Downes, Paquetá, Fornals, Antonio
Subs: Areola (GK), Anang (GK), Johnson, Lanzini, Cornet, Benrahma, Ings
Referee: John Brooks
