Evan Ferguson and Luis Guilherme make their full West Ham United debuts in Tuesday’s Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Republic of Ireland striker replaces Mohammed Kudus, who is absent through injury, in Head Coach Graham Potter’s starting XI at Molineux.
Ferguson starts fresh from scoring for his country in Ireland’s UEFA Nations League B/C play-off victory over Bulgaria during the March international window.
The 20-year-old scored in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 2-2 home draw with Wolves before Christmas and has never lost in four career appearances against the Old Gold for the Seagulls.
Sticking with the youthful theme, 19-year-old Brazilian Guilherme is handed his first start in Claret and Blue.
The former Palmeiras youngster has featured eight times from the substitutes’ bench, most notably when he produced an exciting cameo in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in early February.
The Brazil U20 international has impressed Potter and his coaching staff in training at Rush Green and replaces Tomáš Souček in the starting XI.
Ollie Scarles completes a hat-trick of young players in the team, as the Academy of Football graduate comes in for Emerson at left wing-back. The 19-year-old had started the three games prior to the Everton fixture and returns to the side in place of the man who started at Goodison, Emerson.
The fourth change to the team which started the 1-1 draw at Everton 17 days ago sees Aaron Cresswell replace Jean-Clair Todibo in the back three.
The 35-year-old moves into 23rd place in the Club’s all-time appearance list on his own with 365, one ahead of the illustrious duo of European Cup Winners’ Cup and FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters and Second Division title winner and Scotland international John Dick.
The other seven starters were all on the pitch at kick-off at Goodison Park.
Alphonse Areola continues in goal. The Frenchman has conceded just three goals in his last five Premier League matches, keeping two clean sheets.
Ahead of him, Cresswell is joined in the back three by ever-present Maximilian Kilman, who will face his old club tonight. The 27-year-old played 151 games for Wolves across six seasons, scoring three goals and captaining the hosts last season prior to his summer 2024 transfer to east London.
Konstantinos Mavropanos starts fresh from helping Greece come from behind to beat Scotland in their UEFA Nations League A/B play-off.
The wing-back berths will be filled by Scarles and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who made his 200th Premier League appearance at Everton and has been in outstanding form on the right flank.
The midfield will be anchored by James Ward-Prowse, who scored the winner in this fixture last season direct from a corner kick. He will be partnered by Lucas Paquetá.
Guilherme and Ferguson will play in the front three alongside captain Jarrod Bowen, who has scored six goals in eleven career appearances against Wolves.
The England international scored and assisted in the 2-1 home win in the reverse fixture at London Stadium in December, hit the net in home wins in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24, and got what turned out to be the winner in a 3-2 victory at Molineux in April 2021.
Potter is without the injured Kudus, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, while Wes Foderingham and Andy Irving are the two players who travelled but have been left out of the matchday squad.
For Wolves, Brazil international striker Matheus Cunha is suspended.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sá, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Semedo ©, João Gomes, André, Aït-Nouri, Bellegarde, Munetsi, Strand Larsen
Subs: Johnstone (GK), Lima, Bueno, Traoré, Sarabia, Doyle, Djiga, Forbs, Hwang
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Cresswell, Scarles, Ward-Prowse, Paquetá, Guilherme, Bowen ©, Ferguson
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Coufal, Emerson, Todibo, Rodríguez, Álvarez, Soler, Souček, Füllkrug
Referee: Tony Harrington
