Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dinos Mavropanos and Tomáš Souček return to the West Ham United starting XI for Saturday’s Premier League visit to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Right-back Wan-Bissaka is back after a one-match absence and takes his place in the defensive line, having picked up a knock in training ahead of the draw with Southampton last weekend, but is fit to take his place from the start at American Express Stadium.
The 27-year-old, who has become one of our most important creative outlets, is set to make his 32nd league appearance out of 34 this season, and will be looking to add to his four goal involvements this term.
Graham Potter has picked three centre-backs, which means Mavropanos is recalled to the starting XI as he reverts to a back five.
The Greece international defender is back in the heart of defence after making a substitute appearance in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton, having started our most recent away fixture against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Souček also comes back into the side for our visit to the south coast, having been among the substitutes at London Stadium. The Czechia captain, who has seven Premier League goals to his name this season, will line-up in midfield and will hope to add to his two strikes in ten appearances against the Seagulls.
Otherwise, Potter has selected the same eight players who started the draw at London Stadium eight days ago.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola will have Wan-Bissaka in front of him on the right hand side of defence, with Emerson on the opposite flank. Maximilian Kilman maintains his ever-present record in the West Ham starting XI, making his 33rd start of the season in East Sussex, while Jean-Clair Todibo and Mavropanos complete the central defensive partnership.
James Ward-Prowse is expected to be the holding anchor, extending his consecutive starts streak to nine games, with Souček operating in the crucial engine room.
Ward-Prowse scored the first goal of an eventual 3-1 victory over Brighton in this fixture last season, which was our first and only Premier League win over Fabian Hürzeler's Seagulls since their elevation to the top flight in 2017.
Further forward, Lucas Paquetá and Mohammed Kudus will provide the creativity and flair in the attacking third alongside captain Jarrod Bowen.
Ghana star Kudus scored the leveller against the Seagulls in the teams’ reverse meeting at London Stadium in December. Indeed, that was his last goal involvement for the Hammers, and he will be hoping to end that 15-game wait this afternoon.
On the bench will be goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, defenders Vladimír Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, midfielders Carlos Soler, Guido Rodríguez, Andy Irving and Luis Guilherme and forwards Danny Ings and Niclas Füllkrug.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Dunk ©, Baleba, Estupiñán, Ayari, Hinshelwood, March, O’Riley, Adingra, Welbeck
Subs: Steele (GK), Lamptey, Gruda, Cashin, Minteh, Mitoma, Gómez, Veltman, Tasker
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Souček, Paquetá, Kudus, Bowen ©
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Coufal, Soler, Rodríguez, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Füllkrug
Referee: Darren England
