West Ham are going to give a star duo who are doubts for the crunch game with Everton every chance to prove their fitness.
Julen Lopetegui is facing a race against time to save his job at West Ham.
Now two of his best players face a race against time to help him do just that.
The Hammers welcome Everton to the London Stadium on Saturday knowing only a win will do.
West Ham started the Premier League season aiming for Europe under a new head coach with nine new players.
Heading into the November international break, those plans could be in tatters.
Everton will go above 14th placed West Ham in the table with a win.
Hammers fans are disillusioned with what they’ve seen so far from Lopetegui’s side.
Many are conscious it was always going to take time for the Spaniard to transform West Ham after nearly five years under David Moyes.
But few expected things to prove this difficult and their team this bad to watch.
West Ham face Everton with speculation rife over the manager’s future.
Majority owner David Sullivan started the week backing Lopetegui.
Now it’s being claimed the board have performed a major Lopetegui U-turn and could sack the ex Wolves boss if things turn sour against the Toffees.
West Ham have two major injury doubts for Everton
A host of managers have allegedly been either sounded out or added to a shortlist of potential replacements over the last couple of weeks.
Just yesterday it was claimed West Ham and Everton are in a literal sack race with other clubs to get the ‘new Mourinho’.
And the outcome of Saturday’s crunch clash could decide which vacancy opens first.
Lopetegui has major problems ahead of the game, though.
When he needs a result most, he could be without four of his best players.
But anxious West Ham will give doubtful star duo until the very last minute to face Everton.
The Hammers’ best player Mohammed Kudus will definitely sit the game out.
He serves the third of what is now a five-match suspension against the Toffees.
Edson Alvarez is also unavailable after being recklessly sent off at Nottingham Forest.
Lopetegui’s biggest headaches came to light yesterday, though.
The manager confirmed he has problems with the potential unavailability of two players for the match which could save his job.
Hammers News exclusively revealed those players are captain Jarrod Bowen and defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
In what would be a monumental blow, Bowen and Todibo are doubts for Everton at this stage.
Neither has been training with the team this week.
Anxious West Ham will give doubtful duo until very last minute
But with reports the manager could be sacked if West Ham lose to Sean Dyche’s side, desperate times call for desperate measures.
And Lopetegui is certainly desperate.
Hammers News now understands both Bowen and Todibo – who has been impacted by an injury for the last three weeks – will be given until the last possible moment to prove their fitness.
Todibo was not risked from the start against Man United due to an unknown injury problem.
He has since admitted he is only 80 per cent fit.
Todibo looked out of sorts in the 3-0 defeat at Forest, where he was at fault for two of the goals.
Losing captain Bowen would be an even bigger blow.
The Hammers lose any cutting edge or threat without him in the side.
Bowen and Todibo will be given the latest possible fitness tests to allow them to face Everton.
Especially in the knowledge they have two weeks to recover having been ignored – perhaps unsurprisingly given West Ham’s form – by France and England for the November internationals.
West Ham have been struggling with Bowen, Todibo, Kudus and Alvarez.
So Lopetegui and the club’s fans will understandably be concerned how they will fare without them.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
