West Ham United are back in action on Tuesday night when they face strugglers Wolves at Molineux, hoping to make it five unbeaten. The Hammers should be pretty fresh given this is the first game back after the international break, albeit some players were away with their respective nations.
The break has given some of Potter’s injured players the chance to get some more recovery in, and we should see Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville return in the coming days, with Fullkrug back but Summerville remaining out. Though Potter will surely be cautious in his use of both players given the issues the former, in particular, has faced this season.
Wolves will be tough opposition here, given they are likely just a couple of wins away from Premier League safety, and they will want to get the job done as soon as possible. Here we round up the likely West Ham starting XI for the game.
GK – Alphonse Areola
West Ham’s number one stopper – there shouldn’t be much doubt about this one.
CB – Aaron Cresswell
Cresswell could well come back in here to replace Konstantinos Mavropanos. Potter seemed to prefer Cresswell over previous weeks but turned to Mavropanos against Everton.
CB – Jean-Clair Todibo
Todibo will be one of the first names on the team sheet, whether Potter sticks with the three at the back or reverts back to the four, which seems unlikely.
CB – Max Kilman
Kilman also fits into that category having been a regular for the Hammers this season. Todibo and Kilman will be viewed as key players as Potter looks towards the future.
RWB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka
If West Ham play a back five, Wan-Bissaka seems key to it, given his ability to get forward down the right.
LWB – Emerson Palmieri
The same goes for Emerson, who could be in line for his second consecutive start having spent time behind Oliver Scarles for a few weeks prior to that.
CM – James Ward-Prowse
Potter clearly likes Ward-Prowse, and the midfielder looks as though he will be the anchor for the midfield, at least for the rest of the season.
CM – Carlos Soler
Potter has shown a willingness to drop £50m man Lucas Paquetá, and he might just go a little more conservative here knowing that he has Paquetá to bring off the bench. Edson Alvarez has been the go-to alternative, but Solver has been a steady regular off the bench over recent weeks, and he might get a start here.
CM – Tomas Soucek
Soucek is almost untrappable given he has been one of the Hammers’ main goal threats. He will surely start again here.
CF – Jarrod Bowen
The same goes for Bowen, who will be one of the first names on the team sheet.
CF – Mohamed Kudus
Kudus has struggled for form this season, but Potter has spoken about the impact of the whole team’s form on his performance s and the need to stay patient. The forward should start here, with Niclas Fullkrug only likely to be fit enough to start from the bench.
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