West Ham United make three changes from Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal, as Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd and Emerson return for the second leg of our UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final against KAA Gent on Thursday evening.
With the stage set at London Stadium following a 1-1 draw with in the first leg in Belgium last week, Areola seeks his sixth clean sheet in a competition he has started in regularly, as Łukasz Fabiański is named on the bench.
In front of Areola, there are two changes to the back four from the Arsenal draw. Vladimír Coufal and Kurt Zouma are retained, while Emerson and Nayef Aguerd replace Thilo Kehrer and Aaron Cresswell as the Hammers aim to reach the last four in Europe in successive seasons.
With no further changes from Arsenal, a settled midfield trio sees skipper Declan Rice make his 235th senior appearance, with the England international playing alongside Paquetá and Tomáš Souček against the Belgian Cup holders.
Ahead of them, Jarrod Bowen, who has 16 goal contributions in all competitions in 2022/23, keeps his place as part of the same attacking three who started against Arsenal.
Saïd Benrahma, who, like Bowen, was on the scoresheet against the Gunners, will join the England forward in supporting Michail Antonio. The No9 has four goals in Europe this season and scored a brace against AEK Larnaca in the round of 16 to help the Hammers reach the last-eight.
Alongside Fabiański, Joseph Anang is another goalkeeping option on a strong substitutes' bench, with Maxwel Cornet, Pablo Fornals and Kehrer also included.
Four starters from the draw in Belgium last Thursday are also available to David Moyes, with Ben Johnson, Flynn Downes, Manuel Lanzini and Danny Ings, who scored in that tie, hoping to play their part.
There is also a place for two members of the Academy of Football both of whom featured in the last European match at the London Stadium.
Striker Divin Mubama, with 15 Premier League 2 Division 1 goals to his name in 2022/23, scored his first senior goal last time out in Europe at home to Larnaca, while midfielder Freddie Potts could make his fourth senior appearance, having impressed for Mark Robson’s U21s this campaign.
Angelo Ogbonna, meanwhile, misses out after the Italy centre-back received his third booking of the competition in Gent.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Rice ©, Souček, Paquetá, Benrahma, Bowen, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Anang (GK), Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Kehrer, Potts, Mubama
KAA Gent: Roef, Samoise, Piątkowski, Okumu, Núrio Fortuna, Kums ©, De Sart, Castro-Montes, Hong, Cuypers, Orban
Subs: Nardi (GK), Odjidja-Ofoe, Hauge, Fofana, Torunarigha, Depoitre, Godeau, Tissoudali, Van Daele
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)
