Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed West Ham youngsters will be given competitive minutes against Portsmouth on Saturday.
The Hammers begin their 2026/27 campaign in the Carabao Cup at the London Stadium, and the head coach has now offered a major clue over his selection plans.
West Ham’s academy players have been heavily involved throughout pre-season as Nuno assesses the squad available for the Championship promotion challenge.
Speaking before the Portsmouth game, Nuno praised the contribution made by the younger members of his group and confirmed that opportunities are coming.
West Ham published Nuno’s pre-Portsmouth press conference on Friday, with the head coach saying: “Some of them will play tomorrow.”
He added that bringing academy players into the first-team environment remains an important focus for the club.
West Ham youngsters handed first competitive opportunity
Nuno did not confirm which academy players will feature, leaving several selection possibilities open.
Lewis Orford has pushed strongly throughout pre-season, while Josh Ajala, Airidas Golambeckis and other young players have also spent time around the senior group.
ReadWestHam highlighted on Thursday that Portsmouth would reveal how much Nuno genuinely trusts his academy options. That question has now partly been answered before kick-off.
The significance comes from the change in context.
Pre-season appearances allowed Nuno to experiment without consequences. Saturday is West Ham’s first competitive game since relegation and therefore provides a much clearer indication of which youngsters are genuinely close to his Championship squad.
Joel Veltman is also available after completing his move before the registration deadline, giving Nuno another senior option in defence.
But the manager has now made one element of his plan clear.
West Ham’s youngsters will not simply be watching from the bench against Portsmouth. Some of them will be given the opportunity to prove they belong in the first team.
