All the latest team news, injury updates and starting XI as West Ham prepare to face Burnley, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus major doubts.
West Ham United make the trip north to Lancashire to face Burnley on Saturday afternoon in a 3pm kick-off, as David Moyes’ men look to make it three wins on the bounce following victories against Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos before the international break.
They may have to make the attempt without three first-team players, however, with Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Mohammed Kudus all picking up injuries on international duty that have rendered them doubts for the game at Turf Moor.
We have all the latest updates on their conditions and likely availability below, as well as all the rest of the team news and a predicted starting line-up for the game against the Premier League’s bottom-placed side.
Goalkeeper & Defence
The good news for Moyes is that West Ham have a clean bill of health at the back, with all five regular starters coming through the international break without apparent issues – not that the last week passed entirely without incident.
Vladimír Coufal, who played in the Czech Republic’s game against Poland on Friday, was one of three players sent home after they were photographed partying in a nightclub on Saturday night ahead of the crucial qualifying game against Moldova on Monday. The Czech FA released a statement saying that the three had “fundamentally violated the internal rules of the national team,” which doesn’t bode well for Coufal’s chances of playing in Germany next summer… his place in the West Ham squad is, however, unlikely to be affected.
Midfield
There are two major doubts facing West Ham ahead of the match against Burnley in the midfield thanks to knocks picked up in the past week. Bowen is one, with the winger departing the England camp after the game against Malta with a knee problem.
Scans have picked up fluid in the knee this week, and while Moyes have not yet provided any clear updates on his status, there is a high chance that the former Hull City man will be rested to ensure a smooth recovery. The injury is not expected to be a long-term issue, at least.
The other player who could be absent is summer signing Kudus, who aggravated an ongoing back issue while on duty with Ghana in World Cup qualifying. Kudus missed some training sessions and was restricted to a second-half substitute appearance against Comoros, but West Ham are apparently still upset with the Ghanaian FA as they had flagged concerns with back pain beforehand. Kudus is the most likely of the possible injury cases to play, however.
Forwards
Another major doubt lingers over Jamaican international Michail Antonio, who has played in every game for West Ham so far this season but is set to miss out with a knee problem. There were initial concerns that the injury, which was sustained in a 2-1 defeat to Canada on Saturday, could be serious, but the current prognosis is that he will only be out for two to three weeks.
Like Bowen and Kudus, Antonio will undergo a fitness test ahead of the trip to Burnley, but he is not expected to pass. If Bowen is also unavailable, Danny Ings could be in line for a first start of the season.
Full predicted line-up vs. Burnley
Areola; Emerson, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal; Ward-Prowse, Souček, Álvarez; Paquetá, Ings, Kudus.
