Nayef Aguerd has been given the captain's armband for West Ham United's pre-season visit to face his former side, Stade Rennais.
The Moroccan defender enjoyed two fruitful seasons at Roazhon Park with the Ligue 1 side, playing European football and making 79 appearances in all competitions before joining the Hammers last summer.
Now, on his first return to the Breton capital, the 27-year-old is asked by manager David Moyes to captain a West Ham team packed with senior players as preparations for the 2023/24 campaign continue.
Aguerd is joined in defence by Kurt Zouma, Vladimír Coufal and Emerson, while Alphonse Areola plays in goal for the Hammers, marking the first time that the five have all opened a West Ham United fixture since the UEFA Europa Conference League final in Prague last month, against ACF Fiorentina.
In midfield, experienced Czech Republic international Tomáš Souček is joined by Flynn Downes, who has particularly impressed in the Irons' four previous pre-season outings so far.
Paquetá comes into the starting XI for his first match action of pre-season. The Brazilian No10 is set to step onto the pitch in the Hammers kit for the first time in the summer schedule, after returning to training last week.
Pablo Fornals, Saïd Benrahma and Danny Ings complete the starting XI in West Ham's penultimate pre-season match.
On the bench, manager Moyes has a host of experienced names to choose from, including the likes of Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen, Thilo Kehrer and Angelo Ogbonna.
The two goalscorers from last week's draw at Dagenham & Redbridge, Maxwel Cornet and Divin Mubama, are also among the named substitutes, while Łukasz Fabiański and Conor Coventry complete the options available on the bench.
Stade Rennais: Mandanda, Assignon, Omari, Theate, Belocian, Santamaria, Bourigeaud (c), Majer, D. Doue, Doku, Abline
Subs: Gallon (GK), Lembet (GK), Blas, G. Doue, Gouiri, Kalimuendo, Jaquab, Le Fee, Meling, Salah, Tait, Wooh
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd (c), Emerson, Souček, Downes, Paquetá, Fornals, Benrahma, Ings
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Kehrer, Ogbonna, Coventry, Cornet, Bowen, Scamacca, Mubama
