There is no shortage of subplots as West Ham go to Chelsea in the Premier League on transfer deadline day.
For the third time in four windows, West Ham will play on the evening of the transfer deadline with the trip across London to Chelsea.
It is far from ideal for either club with both the Hammers and Blues actively trying to bring players in.
That is in fact one of the major subplots to the game with West Ham and Chelsea not only directly competing against one another but possibly trading players too.
Another subplot to the Stamford Bridge clash is that Graham Potter is now back in the Premier League with West Ham, 20 months after being sacked by Chelsea.
The Irons also paid Chelsea £1.2m last week to reunite recruitment guru Kyle Macauley with Potter in east London.
Given Potter’s obvious ties to west London, West Ham have been linked with moves for Chelsea outcasts Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Axel Disasi.
Although reports this week claimed Potter has actually rejected the chance to sign Disasi after West Ham were offered the defender on loan.
Plenty of subplots as West Ham face Chelsea
There is a further subplot in that Chelsea are trying to hijack West Ham’s move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson before the window closes at 11pm on Monday.
Another layer of intrigue is around team news.
West Ham have been hit by a glut of injuries to key players of late.
After losing Michail Antonio long-term following his car crash, former Chelsea target Niclas Fullkrug has also been ruled out for at least three months.
Hammers captain and talisman Jarrod Bowen broke his foot.
And like Fullkrug, brilliant attacker Crysencio Summerville – another player Chelsea liked last summer – was also injured in Potter’s first game.
With key defender Jean-Clair Todibo on the sidelines for another month, it leaves Potter’s squad well short.
Confusion surrounds West Ham team news for Chelsea
To make matters worse Lucas Paqueta pulled up with a groin injury at the end of a man of the match performance in West Ham’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last time out.
But Potter is surely playing Chelsea mind games as exciting West Ham footage surfaces.
Bar the defeat to Palace, West Ham’s performances under Potter have been hugely encouraging thus far.
So Hammers supporters are excited to see their team when they get the likes of Bowen and Summerville back.
That looked like being at Villa last time out, but the club elected not to risk either.
That decision was taken with the trip to Chelsea seen as more realistic for both.
Yet speaking ahead of the trip to his former club, Potter gave a grim update on two of his three big doubts.
The Hammers boss says Paqueta is being monitored ahead of the game and has sat out training most of the week.
Potter playing Chelsea mind games as exciting footage surfaces
“We’re just monitoring and looking after him (Paqueta),” Potter said in his pre-Chelsea press conference.
“We will have to see. He hasn’t trained so far this week but we’re hopeful that he will train the back end of the week.”
There was better news on Bowen with Potter saying he is hopeful the skipper will be involved.
“Jarrod Bowen is more positive, obviously a few more days to train,” he added.
“It’s looking hopeful. He’s trained the last two days, so we’ve still got some more training sessions to go. We’re hopeful for him.”
Potter’s Summerville update came as a real blow, though.
The Dutchman was brilliant as he started the new manager’s first game in the FA Cup at Villa.
But he pulled up with an injury and hasn’t been seen since.
“Summerville is very doubtful,” Potter said.
“It is taking a bit longer than we anticipated.”
But on the same day Potter said Summerville is a major doubt, footage emerged suggesting otherwise.
West Ham’s media team posted footage from training on the club’s YouTube channel titled ‘Kudus and Summerville Ballin’.
That they were.
Summerville looks absolutely fine and fit as a fiddle as he joins in full training and pulls off some elaborate skills to boot.
If Summerville and Bowen both return at Chelsea it would dictate how West Ham setup – giving Enzo Maresca a clear idea of what to expect.
So perhaps Potter is trying to keep his old club guessing with his comments on Summerville.
You can check Summerville out training in the video above, does he look like a major doubt to you?
Potter might not be too happy with his media team if his intention was to play mind games with Chelsea.
West Ham fans will dearly be hoping Summerville and Paqueta will take their places alongside Bowen in the squad.
And that they will soon be joined by a new teammate in Ferguson too.
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