Nuno Espirito Santo will surely rotate his West Ham United squad to some extent when they host London neighbours Brentford in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday night.
The extent to which he switches up the starting XI, though, remains to be seen.
Brentford are, after all, a Premier League outfit. In round four, the Hammers limped past Burton Albion, a team battling against the drop in England’s third tier, needing a Crysencio Summerville solo goal in extra time to progress at the Pirelli.
Who do YOU want to see start v Brentford in the FA Cup? 🏆
Nuno is expected to ring the changes…
Still, with top-flight survival very much the aim and the FA Cup taking a secondary role in Nuno Espirito Santo’s list of priorities, we can still expect to see the odd fringe player and maybe a couple of youngsters get some minutes in the legs.
Five West Ham United players who could start v Brentford
Max Kilman
Much-criticised and for the most part rightly so, West Ham have a £40 million former Premier League captain warming the bench these days. Axel Disasi has been a big hit on loan from Chelsea, meaning Kilman has now fallen to fourth in the pecking order.
He hasn’t even played a Premier League minute since Nuno admitted bringing Kilman on was a ‘mistake’ during that second-half collapse at Stamford Bridge.
But, having featured in every single minute of their FA Cup run so far, this Brentford tie could conceivably be Kilman’s only real chance of playing again this season.
Adama Traore
Nuno says Traore’s ‘chance will come’ before the season ends. A chance which is likely to present itself on Monday evening.
Relatively little was expected from the £2 million January signing among a sceptical fanbase yet, somehow, the former Barcelona speedster has still managed to fall below expectations. Nuno will be desperate to avoid an injury to either Summerville or Jarrod Bowen ahead of the run-in, though, meaning another cup start is likely for Traore.
Mohamadou Kante
Highly-rated Frenchman Kante underwhelmed at Burton last month. Following a series of barnstorming displays in the reserves, a lot was expected of a man who has looked a cut above at Under-21 level. Perhaps too much, given his lack of senior experience.
On the upside, a poor afternoon in Staffordshire does not appear to have shaken Nuno’s faith. It felt telling that Kante was entrusted to come off the bench and help see out that vital midweek win at Fulham.
After Soungoutou Magassa excelled in his Craven Cottage cameo, a French connection may emerge at the heart of midfield.
Magassa MARVELLOUS at Fulham! 🇫🇷 💯
But what should his role be at West Ham?
Alphonse Areola
Now, this is one change you can hang your hat on.
Nuno always picks his back-up goalkeeper in cup competitions. This is why Mads Hermansen played against QPR in round three – when he was playing a supporting role – and why Areola came in at Burton following Hermansen’s return to the Premier League line-up.
When he faces the media, expect Nuno to confirm that Areola is guaranteed to start up against Keith Andrews’ occasionally free-scoring forward line.
Ezra Mayers
What would you sacrifice for FA Cup GLORY?
Surely not your Premier League status…
Still only 19 and the youngest player on this list, the teenage defender was one of the few who walked away from Burton with his reputation enhanced.
Joe Cole was left awe-struck by Ezra Mayers’ confidence and maturity, on a day when he started out at centre-half and ended it at left-back.
Ollie Scarles will hope to get a runout in place of El Hadji Malick Diouf, meaning a centre-half pairing of Kilman and Mayers cannot be ruled out.
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