West Ham United Head Coach Graham Potter has made three changes to his starting XI for Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brentford.
Dinos Mavropanos, Edson Álvarez and Lucas Paquetá will all feature from the start at London Stadium, in place of Aaron Cresswell, Vladimír Coufal and Andy Irving.
Paquetá has recovered from the groin injury he suffered at Aston Villa on 26 January, while Álvarez also returns to the starting XI after overcoming the issue he suffered in the same game.
Meanwhile, Mavropanos makes his first Premier League start since the home defeat to Crystal Palace in mid-January, when he was sent- off in the second-half, and comes into the team as Potter reverts to a back four.
James Ward-Prowse, who has returned from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, and deadline-day loan signing Evan Ferguson are available for selection this afternoon and could be called upon from the substitutes’ bench.
Otherwise, the team remains unchanged from the visit to Stamford Bridge.
So, Alphonse Areola therefore continues in goal and makes his 51st Premier League appearance for the Club, with Mavropanos lining up alongside Maximilian Kilman at the heart of the defence, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson fill the wing-back berths.
Ahead of them, Álvarez and Tomáš Souček will anchor the midfield. Czech giant Souček scored against the Bees in the teams’ reverse meeting in September, while Mohammed Kudus will act as the advanced midfielder of the trio and will provide flair and creativity on what is his 68th appearance in Claret and Blue.
Captain Jarrod Bowen is expected to start in his favoured right-wing role, seeking his seventh Premier League goal of the season, while Carlos Soler will operate on the left flank.
Bowen has enjoyed playing against Brentford in the past, scoring five Premier League goals against the Bees, second only to the six he has netted versus Wolves, including his first career hat-trick in this exact fixture last season. The England international is one goal away from becoming the second West Ham player to reach 50 in the Premier League, emulating Michail Antonio.
Last but not least, Paquetá looks set to play up front again, having filled that role in the Fulham fixture and away at Aston Villa, before missing the trip to Chelsea 12 days ago. The Brazilian plays his 82nd Premier League game for West Ham today.
Among the substitutes, meanwhile, defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who made his full Premier League debut against Brentford earlier this season, returns from injury and is included on the strong nine-man bench.
Alongside Todibo will be goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, defenders Aaron Cresswell and Ollie Scarles, midfielders Guido Rodríguez, Ward-Prowse, Irving and Luis Guilherme and forward Ferguson.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Soler, Bowen ©, Kudus, Paquetá
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Todibo, Cresswell, Scarles, Ward-Prowse, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ferguson
Brentford: Flekken, Ajer, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Nørgaard ©, Janelt, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo
Subs: Valdimarsson (GK), Pinnock, Jensen, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kayode
Referee: Darren England
