Julen Lopetegui has rung the changes for West Ham United’s Premier League fixture with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The Spaniard has swapped four of the players who started the home defeat to Liverpool last time out, as we seek a first victory at City’s current home since 2015/16, when first-half goals from Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho secured a 2-1 success - our only three-point haul in 18 Premier League visits.
Jean-Clair Todibo, Tomáš Souček, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Füllkrug all come into the starting line-up, as Dinos Mavropanos and Carlos Soler both move to the substitutes’ bench, while Jarrod Bowen is recovering from the fractured foot he suffered in the first half against the Reds, and Emerson is absent from the squad.
Alphonse Areola retains his place in goal as Łukasz Fabiański is not eligible for selection for the clash with Pep Guardiola’s team, and is now following the Premier League’s concussion protocols in the wake of his head injury at Southampton on Boxing Day.
The Frenchman will have Vladimír Coufal in front of him at right-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to resume left-back duties. Maximilian Kilman and Todibo are our central defenders.
Edson Álvarez is expected to be the holding anchor with the returning and new stand-in skipper Souček operating in the crucial engine room, while Lucas Paquetá will likely act as the advanced midfielder of the trio and will provide flair and creativity.
Mohammed Kudus is expected to start in his favoured right-wing role, seeking his fourth Premier League goal of the season, while Summerville makes a welcome return and will seek his second goal in Claret and Blue from his position on the left flank.
The forward line will be led by Germany international Füllkrug, who will be hoping to add to his one goal in all competitions for West Ham this campaign.
Among the substitutes, meanwhile, midfielder Guido Rodríguez returns from suspension and is included on the strong nine-man bench.
Alongside Rodríguez will be goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, defenders Aaron Cresswell, Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles, midfielders Soler, Andy Irving and Luis Guilherme and forward Danny Ings.
Manchester City: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Aké, Gvardiol, Kovačić, De Bruyne ©, Silva, Foden, Savinho, Haaland
Subs: Carson (GK), Walker, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly, Gündoğan, McAtee, Nunes, Doku, Grealish
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Álvarez, Souček ©, Paquetá, Kudus, Summerville, Füllkrug
Subs: Foderingham (GK), Cresswell, Scarles, Mavropanos, Soler, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ings
Referee: Michael Salisbury
