Silkeborg IF v West Ham United
UEFA Europa Conference League Group B, JYSK Park, Thursday 15 September, 9pm CEST (8pm BST)
West Ham United continue the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) Group B campaign at Silkeborg IF on Thursday evening.
David Moyes' side return to Denmark just 22 days after their last visit, when goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Saïd Benrahma and Tomáš Souček completed a 6-1 play-off round win over Silkeborg's Superliga rivals Viborg FF.
In between, the Irons kicked-off their Group B challenge with a 3-1 home win over Romanian opponents FCSB, while Silkeborg were beaten 1-0 at Belgian side RSC Anderlecht, with both ties taking place last Thursday evening.
The Hammers are in Europe for the second consecutive season, having reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals last term, and hopes are high that the east Londoners can put together another extended continental challenge in 2022/23.
However, David Moyes' players will need to be on their game to defeat a Silkeborg side who finished third in the Superliga last season (play-off round opponents Viborg finished seventh) and are occupying fourth position nine rounds into the new season following a 1-0 win over local rivals AGF at the weekend.
A 760-strong Claret and Blue Army will descend upon Silkeborg's 10,000-capacity JYSK Park stadium on Thursday evening, with a capacity crowd and a lively atmosphere expected.
One other detail to note is that Silkeborg play on artificial turf.
Match information…
There will also be NO goal-line technology or VAR in operation at JYSK Park on Thursday evening. There is no VAR in the UECL this season.
If a player receives three cautions during the group stage he will be required to serve a one-match suspension. Maxwel Cornet, Angelo Ogbonna and Emerson have all received one caution so far.
Each manager can name up to 12 substitutes, of whom five can be used on three occasions (plus half-time). There are no additional ‘concussion substitutes’ available in UEFA Club Competition.
The 2022/23 UECL final will be hosted at Slavia Prague’s Fortuna Arena in the Czech Republic on 7 June next year.
Tickets…
West Ham United have been allocated 760 Standard Tickets for this fixture, priced at £12 in all bands.
For both Wheelchair Viewing Spaces and Accessible (AEA), tickets are charged at the relevant price band. Please call our Ticket Office team on 0333 030 0174 or email [email protected].
Click here for the very latest information.
How To Follow…
Thursday's tie will be broadcast live in the UK by BT Sport 2. More information on how to watch can be found by clicking here.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle.
Travel...
Silkeborg itself does not have an airport, so you will need to fly into one of the three situated within driving distance.
Around 45 miles south of Silkeborg, Billund is most famous for LEGOLAND, but also has an international airport with direct Ryanair flights from London Stansted.
About 75 miles Silkeborg is Aalborg, which can be accessed via a short stopover in a number of European cities, depending on which airline you use. Norwegian flies from Gatwick via Copenhagen, while KLM flies from Heathrow via Amsterdam.
And to complete a hat-trick, Aarhus airport is situated around 60 miles east of Silkeborg. Direct flights are available from Stansted with Ryanair.
From all three, you can take a taxi, hire a car or try your luck on the Danish long-distance bus network. There is a direct train to Aarhus, but the airport is another 50-minute train journey from the city!
Once in Silkeborg, take City Bus line 11 towards Nørreskov Bakke – Oslovej runs from Silkeborg Banegård to JYSK Park. Get off at the Lindeparken/Ansvej stop and walk 500 meters to JYSK Park.
If you are driving, please use the car park on Søholt Parkvej and walk along the footpath to JYSK Park.
Click here to visit our Over Land and Sea guide for travelling supporters.
Team News...
West Ham United have no fresh injury concerns after a weekend without a first-team fixture following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Nayef Aguerd (ankle) remains on the sidelines, while Ben Johnson (thigh), Aaron Cresswell (groin) and Tomáš Souček (foot) have been nursing injuries.
Maxwel Cornet was withdrawn with a knock during the Group B win over FCSB at London Stadium last Thursday.
Opposition…
Silkeborg IF were drawn out of Pot 4 in the UECL group-stage draw.
Former Aston Villa and Denmark defender Kent Nielsen’s side play in the Danish Superliga and qualified for the group stage after losing to Finnish side HJK 2-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.
Formed in 1917, Silkeborg have been crowned Superliga champions once in their history, in 1993/94, and returned to the top-flight as recently as 2018/19, when they were crowned 1st Division champions.
In between, SIF won the Danish Cup for the first and only time in 2001 and finished runners-up in 2018, while Thursday's hosts also lifted the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1996.
Among the notable former Silkeborg players was Henrik Pedersen, who scored 96 goals for the club in two spells between 1995 and 2012, broken by seven seasons in England with Bolton Wanderers - where he was a teammate of Kevin Nolan - and Hull City.
Nowadays, Neilsen's squad is almost exclusively made up of Danish players, including towering former Aston Villa centre-forward Nicklas Helenius and highly-rated 22-year-old winger Sebastian Jørgensen.
Match Officials
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (POR)
Assistant Referees: Pedro Martins (POR) & Luis Campos (POR)
Fourth Official: Miguel Bertolo Nogueira (POR)
Thursday's referee will be the experienced Portuguese official Fábio Veríssimo.
Born in the seaside town of Peniche, north of Lisbon, on Boxing Day 1982, the 39-year-old has been refereeing in Portugal's Primeira Division for the past nine seasons.
A veteran of 134 top-flight matches in his homeland, Veríssimo has also taken charge of two FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 17 UEFA Club Competition fixtures and three UEFA Nations League ties.
He was the referee when Declan Rice scored his first goal for England in a 4-0 Nations League A win over Iceland at Wembley in November 2020.
