Rita Guarino has strongly hinted at changes to her West Ham United Women side for Wednesday’s Subway Players Cup meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Hammers have little time to recover after suffering a frustrating 1-0 Women’s Super League defeat against Everton at Victoria Road on Sunday.
A Laia Codina own goal in the 94th minute decided the contest, although Guarino was unhappy with more than just the result.
West Ham now have an immediate opportunity to respond when they face Tottenham on Wednesday evening, and the head coach has suggested members of her squad who missed out against Everton could receive opportunities.
Guarino hints at West Ham changes against Tottenham
Speaking to West Ham’s official website, Guarino admitted there was little value in dwelling on Sunday’s disappointment.
“We have no time to be frustrated,” she said.
“We have no time to be disappointed with this because we have more games to play. In three days we will play again, so it’s important to refocus and try to learn from the mistakes that we made today.”
Guarino then offered a significant indication about her selection plans.
“Wednesday night is important for the players that didn’t play today,” she added.
“It’s going to be important for them to be connected on the team. It’s good that we play again immediately.”
Guarino had nine substitutes available against Everton, with Ebony Salmon and Leila Wandeler the only players introduced from the bench.
That left several members of the matchday squad without minutes and potentially in contention for Wednesday’s starting XI.
West Ham Women get immediate chance to respond
The quick turnaround could be useful following a performance Guarino openly admitted she “didn’t like”.
West Ham defended effectively for long periods against Everton but struggled to turn promising first-half opportunities into goals before being punished deep into stoppage time.
Wednesday therefore offers Guarino an opportunity to freshen her side while assessing players pushing for greater involvement in the weeks ahead.
It also begins West Ham’s Subway Players Cup campaign against familiar opposition, with Tottenham providing another London derby early in the season.
Full venue, kick-off and ticket information can be found in our Tottenham Women vs West Ham Women cup guide.
The result will matter, but Guarino’s team selection could be equally revealing as competition for places begins to intensify.
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