West Ham will be without influential new signing Edson Alvarez for tonight’s Europa League opener at home to Backa Topola.
The Mexican midfielder was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the 97th minute of Ajax’s game against Union Berlin last season.
Hammers boss David Moyes insists the Premier League and Europa League are both the club’s main competitions this season because of the financial rewards for good performances, but confirmed he will make changes to his squad after Saturday’s defeat by the Premier League vs Manchester City.
Moyes opted to promote Alphonse Areola to first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Lukasz Fabianski this summer, but the Pole will start today.
Their positions were reversed last season, with Areola playing in Europe and Fabianski in the Premier League. “Lukasz Fabianski will play tomorrow night,” Moyes told reporters on Wednesday.
“Lukasz was a great goalkeeper and did very little wrong to be on the sidelines.
– Lukasz’s form has been so good over the last few years that it was hard to do. But we made that decision.”
Moyes added about the match against Serbian Backa Topola: “We have everything – everything is in order and ready to play. All the players are ready to go. “I want to push them all forward. I think it’s a good opportunity for some players to show what they can do.”
Mohammed Kudus can impress West Ham under Danny Ings. James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paqueta continue to keep their places in a strong Hammers.
West Ham XI: Fabianski; Kehrer, Ogbonna, Mavropanos, Cresswell; Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Fornals; Benrahma, Kudus, Eng
Substitutes: Johnson, Zouma, Coufal, Antonio, Cornet, Areola, Aguerd, Soucek, Coventry, Emerson, Mubama, Anang.
Time and date: 20:00 BST Thursday 21 September 2023
