Predicted: Graham Potter makes two West Ham changes for Fulham after big calls on striker and Ollie Scarles. West Ham welcome Fulham to the London Stadium for Graham Potter’s first home game in charge and he has some big calls to make.
Hammers fans were enthused by what they saw in Graham Potter’s first half in charge at Aston Villa.
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After taking a deserved 1-0 lead, ultimately West Ham were hamstrung by injuries as Villa came from behind to progress to the FA Cup fourth round. Supporters liked what they saw of Potter’s approach.
Logic suggests if that’s what he can do in just 24 hours, imagine what he can he achieve in the next two or three years. All eyes now turn to his first Premier League game in charge of West Ham against Fulham.
The Cottagers have put the Hammers to shame this season as they and not the east Londoners compete for a European place.
That being said, if West Ham can beat Fulham, they will only be four points behind Marco Silva’s ninth-placed side with 17 games to go.
The problem for Potter is that he has been greeted by an injury crisis at West Ham as soon as he has stepped foot in the door. Potter makes two West Ham changes for Fulham. No fewer than seven Hammers stars were doubts for Fulham.
Forwards Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen are all out. So is defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
Although Potter has been handed a monumental boost with the fixture named for Bowen’s potential early return. Crysencio Summerville is a doubt for Fulham, as confirmed by Potter himself.
And goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is also likely to be out. Potter revealed Emerson Palmieri and Konstantinos Mavropanos are both fit and available, though.
That’s after Emerson missed the Villa game and Mavropanos came off injured. Danny Ings failed to impress when coming on to replace Fullkrug at Villa.
Due to his lack of game time, Ings visibly tired quickly. Meanwhile Emerson’s replacement Ollie Scarles was excellent and won the man of the match award despite being on the losing team.
The situation certainly gives the new Hammers boss plenty to think about and his options are limited. We predict Potter makes two West Ham changes for Fulham after big calls on the striker situation and Scarles.
There are two distinct possibilities for the team tonight and it revolves around whether Ings starts.
Given how quickly he tired against Villa, we think Potter may keep him on the bench to try and make an impact as a second half substitute if needed.
Potter has confirmed he could use Lucas Paqueta or Mohammed Kudus as a striker with both having played the role before.
The two expected changes against Fulham are enforced from the Villa game as a result of injuries to Fullkrug and Summerville.
But what Potter looks set to do is quite interesting.
Hammers fans would have been disheartened had Potter taken Scarles out of the team given all his talk about the importance of the Academy coupled with the 21-year-old’s brilliant display last time out.
