West Ham begin their competitive season against Portsmouth on Saturday, with Nuno Espírito Santo already confirming that academy players will feature.
The West Ham predicted XI vs Portsmouth could therefore include opportunities for Lewis Orford and Airidas Golambeckis alongside an experienced core at the London Stadium.
The Hammers host Portsmouth in the first round of the Carabao Cup at 3pm on Saturday, one week before their Championship opener against Burnley.
Nuno has already provided an important selection clue. West Ham’s official pre-Portsmouth press conference saw the head coach confirm that “some of them will play tomorrow” when discussing the academy players involved throughout pre-season.
That should make Saturday’s team particularly interesting.
West Ham predicted XI vs Portsmouth
GK: Alphonse Areola
Mads Hermansen has been Nuno’s regular first-choice goalkeeper, but this looks like a sensible opportunity to give Areola competitive minutes.
RB: Kyle Walker-Peters
Walker-Peters has featured prominently throughout pre-season and gives West Ham an experienced option on the right.
CB: Joel Veltman
Veltman is available after completing his move to West Ham before the registration deadline. Giving him an immediate debut would allow the experienced defender to build sharpness before the Championship begins.
CB: Airidas Golambeckis
This could be one of the academy opportunities Nuno was referring to.
Golambeckis has been heavily involved with the senior squad this summer and started the 5-0 friendly victory at Stevenage.
LB: Ollie Scarles
Scarles has established himself around the senior group and should be another strong candidate to start.
CM: James Ward-Prowse
With Tomáš Souček sidelined by ankle ligament damage, Ward-Prowse can provide experience in a potentially youthful midfield.
CM: Mohamadou Kanté
The 20-year-old has featured regularly during pre-season and has another opportunity to strengthen his claim for Championship minutes.
CM: Lewis Orford
Orford feels like the academy player most likely to start.
ReadWestHam reported on Friday that Nuno has guaranteed competitive opportunities for some of his youngsters, with Orford specifically highlighted after his strong involvement throughout pre-season.
RW: Jarrod Bowen
There is an argument for resting the captain, but West Ham still have more than a week before travelling to Burnley. Giving Bowen competitive minutes could prove more useful than protecting him at this stage.
ST: Taty Castellanos
Castellanos should lead the attack after featuring regularly during West Ham’s preparations.
LW: Pablo Felipe
Pablo can complete a relatively experienced front three, giving Nuno enough attacking quality to balance the younger selections elsewhere.
Predicted West Ham XI
Areola; Walker-Peters, Veltman, Golambeckis, Scarles; Ward-Prowse, Kanté, Orford; Bowen, Taty, Pablo.
Josh Ajala, Ezra Mayers and other academy players should also be strong candidates to feature from the bench.
Nuno has promised opportunities, but Portsmouth are Championship opposition and West Ham will want to begin their season positively.
The most likely compromise is therefore a recognisable senior spine with two or three youngsters given the chance to prove they deserve a place in Nuno’s plans.
