Declan Rice will lead West Ham United into their biggest European tie in over 20 years after being declared fit for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg against Sevilla.
The England midfielder missed the Premier League fixture at Liverpool on Saturday through illness, but returned to full training at Rush Green on Wednesday and will captain the Hammers at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium.
Rice has already scored twice in West Ham’s run to the knockout stages, netting in the Group H victories at Dinamo Zagreb and home to Rapid Vienna in September on his first two European appearances for the Club.
The 22-year-old’s inclusion at the expense of the injured Jarrod Bowen, who suffered a heel injury at Liverpool, is one of two changes from the side which lost 1-0 at Anfield at the weekend.
Alphonse Areola continues his role as West Ham’s European goalkeeper of choice, taking over from Łukasz Fabiański between the sticks.
The France international has plenty of experience in continental competition, with tonight’s tie being his 30th appearance in Europe and his tenth in the Europa League, including five of West Ham’s six group-stage fixtures.
Elsewhere, the other nine starters retain their places from Saturday’s game.
Ben Johnson, Craig Dawson, 2021 UEFA Champions League winner Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell make up the back four.
Rice is joined in midfield by regular partner Tomáš Souček, himself a 2019 Europa League quarter-finalist with Slavia Prague and a veteran of 40 European appearances.
Spain international Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Nikola Vlašić, who has made a team-high 53 appearances in European competitions, including 23 in the Europa League with Hajduk Split, Everton, CSKA Moscow and West Ham, will provide the creativity.
Michail Antonio, who netted West Ham’s first goal of this memorable Europa League run in Zagreb back in September, leads the forward line.
On the substitutes’ bench, Fabiański and Darren Randolph provide goalkeeping cover, while Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop, Alex Král, Arthur Masuaku, Saïd Benrahma and Club captain Mark Noble are all experienced players who have featured in the Europa League this season.
They are joined by a number of Academy of Football prospects Sonny Perkins, who has played twice in the Europa League and debuted in the 2-0 win at Rapid Vienna in November, Dan Chesters, Aji Alese and Freddie Potts, who have each featured once in our run to the round of 16.
West Ham United: Areola, Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Lanzini, Fornals, Vlašić, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Randolph (GK), Fredericks, Diop, Alese, Masuaku, Král, Noble, Potts, Chesters, Benrahma, Perkins
Sevilla: Bono, Jesús Navas ©, Gudelj, Koundé, Acuña, Jordán, Rakitić, Óliver Torres, Corona, Ocampos, En-Nesyri Subs: Dmitrović (GK), Pastor (GK), Augustinsson, Munir, Rafa Mir, Martial, Luismi, Carmona, Juanlu, Iván Romero, Kike Salas
Referee: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)