Lucas Paquetá and Nayef Aguerd are set for a first taste of Emirates FA Cup action after the duo were named in a strong starting XI for West Ham United’s third-round tie at Brentford on Saturday.
The summer signings are two of the seven players retained from Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Leeds United, where the Brazil midfielder netted his first goal in Claret and Blue, and Aguerd made his first Premier League start.
Manager David Moyes makes four changes to the starting XI from Wednesday's fixture at Elland Road, Emerson, Angelo Ogbonna, Michail Antonio and Ben Johnson are restored to the line-up.
As West Ham face the Bees for the second time in eight days, Johnson replaces Vladimír Coufal, who is ruled out of the fixture after picking up a knock against Leeds United, while Thilo Kehrer and Pablo Fornals drop to the bench.
Gianluca Scamacca, who scored his seventh goal of the season last time out, is not included in the matchday squad for Brentford due to a minor knock. Manuel Lanzini is also not involved for the same reason.
Hoping for a repeat of the 2-0 home win over Leeds in the Hammers’ 2021/22 third-round tie, a strong XI sees Declan Rice skipper the side and partner Tomáš Souček in midfield. Jarrod Bowen will lead the support of starting striker Michail Antonio, alongside Paquetá.
With Alphonse Areola also unavailable for Saturday’s trip to west London due to a knock, Łukasz Fabiański starts for the 19th time this season between the sticks, leaving Darren Randolph as Moyes’ sole goalkeeping option from the bench.
Academy players Divin Mubama and Kamarai Swyer, both of whom scored in the U21s' 2-1 win at Everton on Friday evening, are part of a strong bench. Mubama made his Premier League debut at Arsenal on Boxing Day and both will hope for a first FA Cup appearance for the Irons today, while Swyer appeared in the 3-0 UEFA Europa Conference League Group B win at FCSB in November - our most-recent victory.
On his return to his former club, Saïd Benrahma seeks an impact from a substitutes’ bench that also seats vice-skipper Aaron Cresswell, Conor Coventry and Flynn Downes.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Johnson, Dawson, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Emerson, Rice ©, Souček, Paquetá, Bowen, Antonio
Subs: Randolph (GK), Cresswell, Fornals, Downes, Benrahma, Kehrer, Coventry, Swyer, Mubama
Brentford: Strakosha, Dasilva, Mee, Ajer, Jenson ©, Wissa, Damsgaard, Sorensen, Roerslev, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter
Subs: Cox (GK), Henry, Canos, Schade, Jorgensen, Janelt, Stevens, Trevitt, Yarmoliuk
Referee: Andre Marriner
