West Ham United is going head to head with Brighton & Hove Albion starting on 2 Jan 2024 at London Stadium stadium.
West Ham United team news
West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus will not be involved in their Premier League clash with Brighton after he was selected by manager Chris Houghton to represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Daily Mail are reporting the winger is nursing a minor hamstring injury and that the club are awaiting the results of a scan but the 23-year-old is expected to join Ghana in the coming days.
Premier League clubs are obliged to release their players for AFCON on New Year’s Day – but the Hammers tried to hold onto their star winger for their game against the Seagulls. Kudus has been a key player for the Hammers following his summer move from Ajax, and has scored six league goals so far.
David Moyes’ side come into the game off the back of a stunning 2-0 win away to Arsenal – with Kudus playing the full 90 minutes. Ghana’s opening AFCON game is against Cape Verde on Sunday, January 14, before group facing Egypt and Mozambique.
Moyes has confirmed that Paqueta is suffering from a knee injury, the severity of which will be disclosed once the results of his scans are through, and he is one of three players nursing such a problem alongside Michail Antonio and Kurt Zouma, the former of whom is in with a chance of returning
Brighton & Hove Albion team news
Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte had to be replaced with an injury concern against Tottenham and Roberto De Zerbi admitted that him and Igor Julio are initial doubts for the trip to West Ham next week.
Mitoma sustained an ankle issue in Albion’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Crystal Palace on December 21 and is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.
De Zerbi also fielded questions on Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma, who has been ruled out for four to six weeks with an ankle injury which has placed in doubt his participation in next month’s Asian Cup.
“I hope it can be less than four (weeks), but the medical staff say four, five or six weeks and I am working for Brighton, not for Japan. I can say nothing for Japan,” the Italian insisted.
“I hope for you that Kaoru can play in Asian Cup but I don’t know.”
Dunk takes his place on the sidelines with Joel Veltman (knee), Ansu Fati (thigh), Julio Enciso (knee), Kaoru Mitoma (ankle), Simon Adingra (hamstring), Solly March (knee), Adam Webster (unspecified) and Tariq Lamptey (thigh), while Igor and Facundo Buonanotte also picked up knocks in midweek.
Possible Starting Line-up
West Ham United
Areola; Coufal, Ogbonna, Mavropanos, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Benrahma; Bowen
Brighton & Hove Albion
Verbruggen; Milner, Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Gross, Gilmour, Baleba; Lallana; Ferguson, Pedro
