West Ham continue their pre-season preparations against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon. This Rangers v West Ham preview covers the team news, players to watch, predicted line-up and how supporters can follow the match.
The friendly takes place on Sunday, 26 July, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm BST. West Ham TV will stream the match for £5, while 2026/27 season-ticket holders can watch without paying an additional fee.
It will be West Ham’s third public friendly of the summer. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side drew 1-1 with Southend United before producing a much stronger performance against Stevenage.
ReadWestHam’s report from the 5-0 Stevenage victory highlighted goals from James Ward-Prowse, Taty Castellanos, Lewis Orford, Josh Ajala and Jett Murphy. Nuno made ten half-time changes, allowing senior and academy players to receive meaningful minutes.
Rangers v West Ham preview and team news
West Ham have not confirmed any fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip to Glasgow. Nuno is likely to continue rotating heavily rather than leaving his expected starters on the pitch for the full match.
Jarrod Bowen, Castellanos and Ward-Prowse could retain their places after combining effectively at Stevenage. Bowen created Castellanos’ goal, while Ward-Prowse opened the scoring after beginning the move inside his own half.
Mohamadou Kanté and George Earthy are among the younger players pushing for further opportunities. Orford, Ajala and Murphy could also feature after scoring from the bench on Wednesday.
West Ham’s rebuild under Nuno showed encouraging early signs at Stevenage. Rangers should provide a more demanding assessment of the defensive structure and midfield balance Nuno is developing.
Rangers are further ahead in their preparations because their Scottish Premiership campaign begins against Dundee United on Friday.
Derek McInnes’ team beat Saint-Étienne 2-1 at Ibrox on Wednesday. Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring before Thelo Aasgaard converted a late penalty.
McInnes said the performance demonstrated Rangers’ competitive qualities, although he acknowledged that improvements were still required. He also suggested several players needed another substantial appearance before the league season begins.
Players West Ham must watch
Shankland will provide the clearest test for West Ham’s centre-backs. The Scotland striker is an experienced penalty-box forward who can punish poor positioning and loose clearances.
Cammy Devlin could also start after making an impact from the bench against Saint-Étienne. His aggression and willingness to compete for second balls helped Rangers gain greater control in midfield.
Aasgaard offers another threat between the lines. West Ham cannot allow the Norway international to receive possession freely around the edge of the penalty area.
Rangers may also give minutes to several summer signings, including goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, Ben Godfrey and Dan Neil. Their squad is still developing under McInnes, but the intensity should be significantly higher than West Ham faced at Stevenage.
What Nuno will want to see at Ibrox
The result will remain secondary, but West Ham need to show that Wednesday’s attacking performance can be repeated against stronger opposition.
Nuno will want his players to handle Rangers’ pressure and the atmosphere inside Ibrox. The match should also reveal whether West Ham can maintain their shape when they do not control possession.
The midfield will receive particular attention following the departure of Mateus Fernandes. Ward-Prowse, Kanté, Freddie Potts and Orford are competing for roles, while further recruitment remains expected.
Castellanos also has another opportunity to strengthen his position as the leading striker. His movement behind the Stevenage defence was encouraging, but Rangers’ centre-backs should offer a more physical challenge.
This Rangers v West Ham preview points towards another mixed side, with senior players starting before academy prospects enter during the second half.
Predicted West Ham line-up
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Mads Hermansen; Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, El Hadji Malick Diouf; Mohamadou Kanté, James Ward-Prowse; Jarrod Bowen, George Earthy, Luis Guilherme; Taty Castellanos.
Nuno is expected to make extensive changes during the match, so the starting line-up may only remain together for 45 to 60 minutes.
Score prediction
Rangers 1-2 West Ham
Rangers should provide a much tougher test than Stevenage, particularly with their league season approaching. West Ham’s attacking quality and stronger bench could still give Nuno’s side a narrow victory.
