West Ham head to Crystal Palace on Saturday with fans fearing the worst over mystery injuries after comments from Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers and Eagles have both been tipped to do well in the Premier League this season.
But something will have to give when the London rivals meet as Julen Lopetegui goes in search of his first West Ham win.
Crystal Palace ended last season as one of the form teams in the top flight. Oliver Glasner had them playing some brilliant football in the process too.
Many journalists and pundits have backed West Ham for Europe as a result of some excellent transfer window business.
While Palace have lost a host of key stars, the Hammers have kept theirs and added another eight quality signings to the mix.
Amid the high hopes for West Ham and Crystal Palace, though, the start to the season was something of a damp squib.
Lopetegui sparks West Ham concern
Both teams started the new Premier League season with disappointing 2-1 defeats.
Hammers fans were left slightly underwhelmed too when Lopetegui started just two of his summer signings against Villa.
West Ham have bad memories of facing Crystal Palace after being battered 5-2 at Selhurst Park in April.
With West Ham tormentor in chief Michael Olise gone along with another Palace star who always plays well against the Hammers – Jordan Ayew – hopes have been high Lopetegui will get his first victory.
There has been even more encouragement with Palace central defender Joachim Andersen being sold to Fulham before they face the Hammers.
Although Marc Guehi – who looks likely to join Newcastle – is expected to play.
Lopetegui sparked serious concern among West Ham fans ahead of the game, though.
Top West Ham source shares truth on big injury fears for Palace
The Spaniard revealed there had been a problem in training when asked if there were any injury issues.
“We’ve had a little problem in the training session, but we have to wait and see what happens,” Lopetegui told the press conference.
That has sparked rumours on social media that West Ham will be without a key player – or worse still more than one of them – when they head to south London.
But now a top West Ham source has shared the truth on the big mystery injury fears for Crystal Palace.
Sean Whetstone is close to Hammers majority owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.
He has revealed his sources are remaining tight-lipped over the injury issues so as not to give the game away to Palace.
But in a major boost, Whetstone claims he has been told they are ‘minor’ and ‘nothing to worry about’.
“West Ham sources are remaining tight lipped over injury updates for fear of tipping off the opposition but there are expected to be no big surprises (for Palace),” Whetstone said.
“Only small knocks and nothing to worry about I am told.”
Big boost and no better time to play Palace?
This is fantastic news for the Hammers.
Premier Injuries report that Matheus Franca definitely won’t be playing for the Eagles against the Irons.
And influential midfielder Cheick Doucoure is a doubt too.
Without Olise, Ayew and Andersen – and the uncertainty surrounding Guehi – the stars seem to be aligning for Lopetegui to get his first win.
A win for the Hammers would not only get the season up and running but ease some of the pressure on Lopetegui among the wider football media, who will be keen to jump on the Spaniard after the way things ended with David Moyes at West Ham.
The Hammers won’t be entirely happy heading to Selhurst, though.
In fact West Ham will be furious about who will be the referee for the game against Crystal Palace.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
