Thilo Kehrer has been named in West Ham United’s starting XI for the first time and will make his Premier League debut against Brighton & Hove Albion at the London Stadium.
The Germany international comes into David Moyes’ starting team after impressing from the bench against Viborg FF - and the switch with Ben Johnson, who drops to the bench, is the sole change from the Hammers’ last league clash at Nottingham Forest.
Skipper Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell return to the starting line-up after missing the UEFA Europa League play-off first-leg on Thursday due to suspension, with manager David Moyes also returning from suspension and back in the dugout.
Saïd Benrahma and Michail Antonio - who combined expertly for West Ham’s third goal in midweek - will lead the Hammers’ line of attack against the visiting Seagulls.
They will be joined by Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen, who is looking for his first Premier League goal of the season after netting against Viborg last time out.
Kurt Zouma and Vladimír Coufal complete the defence for West Ham’s 500th home Premier League match, while Łukasz Fabiański will retain his place in the Premier League eleven between the sticks, and Tomáš Souček will partner Rice in the heart of the midfield.
Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna, who made first appearance following nine months out with a knee injury midweek, is one of nine options on the substitutes’ bench, alongside Academy graduates Harrison Ashby and Conor Coventry - both fresh following their starts in Europe this week.
Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca, who combined expertly to produce the latter’s first West Ham goal against Viborg last Thursday, will add further weight to Moyes’ bench.
The duo are joined by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Johnson, Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini, Ashby, Coventry and Flynn Downes.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Zouma, Kehrer, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Fornals, Bowen, Benrahma, Antonio
Subs: Areola, Johnson, Ogbonna, Lanzini, Ashby, Cornet, Coventry, Downes, Scamacca
Brighton & Hove Albion: Sánchez, Veltman, Dunk ©, Webster, March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Trossard, Groß, Lallana, Welbeck
Subs: Steele (GK), Lamptey, Colwill, Mwepu, Alzate, Undav, Mitoma, Estupiñán, Maupay
Referee: Anthony Taylor
