Boss David Moyes has made three changes to the starting XI for Sunday’s Premier League clash away to Sheffield United, in the wake of Tuesday night’s Emirates FA Cup exit at Bristol City.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola replaces Łukasz Fabiański between the sticks, looking to help the Hammers earn a fifth consecutive league clean sheet for the first time in 33 years, on his fourth successive top-flight outing.
Further up the field, Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals come in for Aaron Cresswell and Saïd Benrahma, having both been absent from the matchday squad under the lights at Ashton Gate.
Bowen heads into his 27th match of 2023/24 as West Ham’s top scorer this campaign, looking for his 15th strike in all competitions in South Yorkshire. Fornals, meanwhile, is set to continue his search for a first goal this term, in his 23rd game.
Danny Ings makes his second consecutive start alongside Bowen in attack, as well as Maxwel Cornet, who completed 90 minutes against the Robins in Tuesday’s FA Cup replay.
Skipper Kurt Zouma plays next to Greece international Dinos Mavropanos in the centre of defence, flanked by full-backs Vladimír Coufal and Emerson who retain their places. Ahead of them, James Ward-Prowse and Tomáš Souček line up in midfield.
Similar to Tuesday night, there is plenty of young talent on the Hammers’ substitutes bench. Callum Marshall will be hoping for more minutes after being handed his debut against Bristol City, while 17-year-old Lewis Orford could make his first senior appearance if called upon by Moyes.
The likes of Kaelan Casey, Ollie Scarles and Divin Mubama will again be looking to make an impact, with both Casey and Scarles aiming to build on their first-team debuts against FCSB in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season.
Sheffield United: Foderingham, Bogle, Ahmedhodzic ©, Robinson, Trusty, Souza, McAtee, Hamer, Brooks, Brereton Díaz, Osula
Subs: Amissah (GK), Brewster, McBurnie, Archer, Norwood, Osborn, Norrington-Davies, Seriki, Buyabu
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma ©, Mavropanos, Emerson, Cornet, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Fornals, Ings, Bowen
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Johnson, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Casey, Mubama, Marshall, Scarles, Orford
Referee: Michael Salisbury
