West Ham XI vs Aston Villa: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for FA Cup tonight

Evening Standard

·10 Januari 2025

West Ham XI vs Aston Villa: Predicted lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for FA Cup tonight

Graham Potter takes charge of the Hammers for the first time

West Ham fans will get a sense of the players' new manager Graham Potter is most keen on when he names his first starting line-up since taking the job.

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Potter was appointed officially on Thursday morning after the sacking on Wednesday of Julen Lopetegui.

Thursday was Potter’s first day of training with the Hammers, before his reign properly gets underway with tonight’s FA Cup third round tie against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

It remains to be seen whether Lukasz Fabianski will feature, after the veteran sat out for 10 days in accordance with Premier League concussion protocol following a head injury. Alphonse Areola has been playing in the Pole’s stead.

Emerson suffered an injury in the final training session before Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City, which proved to be Lopetegui’s final match in charge. The Italian could return.

Centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo was brought into the starting line-up against City but was then taken off with a knock, with Potter’s predecessor saying he was “not optimistic” about the chance of a period out for the Frenchman.

New era: Graham Potter will take charge of West Ham for the first time on Friday

Action Images via Reuters

If Todibo is, as expected, unavailable then Konstantinos Mavropanos could return to the team for Potter’s first game in charge.

Longer-term injuries rule Michail Antonio and club captain Jarrod Bowen out.

Potter is a tactically flexible manager, with West Ham having tended to play 4-2-3-1 under both Lopetegui and, before that, David Moyes.

The fact the game is in a cup competition might tempt Potter to experiment, or he could name a strong first XI in a bid to reach the fourth round and open his West Ham account with a confidence-boosting victory.

West Ham predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Coufal; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Paqueta, Summerville; Fullkrug

Doubts: Emerson, Todibo, Fabianski

Out: Antonio, Bowen

Date and time: 8pm GMT on Friday January 10, 2024

Venue: Villa Park

TV channel and live stream: ITV1 and ITVX