West Ham United U21s v Blackburn Rovers U21s
Premier League 2 Division 1, Rush Green Stadium, Saturday 1 April 2023, 2pm BST
West Ham United U21s return to action following the international break with the visit of Blackburn Rovers to Rush Green Stadium.
Mark Robson’s young side head into their final stretch of games in the 2022/23 campaign on the back of seven wins in their last ten Premier League 2 matches, and will be eager to keep up the good form in Saturday’s fixture.
The development team have picked up 24 points from 21 matches played this season and occupy tenth in the 14-team league.
The Irons are five points clear of the relegation places and Saturday’s opponents, with Blackburn looking to also pull away from the drop zone with a positive result against West Ham.
A thrilling reverse fixture in October saw the Hammers battle back from two goals down, with Regan Clayton and Callum Marshall both scoring their first U21s goals in a 2-2 draw.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match...
Tickets…
Admittance to this Premier League 2 fixture is free for West Ham United Season Ticket Holders. Proof of Season Ticket status must be shown upon entry to Rush Green Stadium.
Tickets can also be purchased on the door, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for U16s. Gates will open an hour before kick-off.
Travel…
Fans wishing to attend this U21s fixture by car should note that parking will not be available at Rush Green on Saturday 1 April.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before travel, with resources such as TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app helping to plan your journey.
Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website to plan their journey if traveling on the rail network.
How To Follow…
Fans will be able to follow all the action from West Ham United U21s v Blackburn Rovers U21s in our live blog at whufc.com, which will begin one hour before kick-off, at 1pm.
Match updates, including goals, will also be available as they happen on our Twitter feed.
Highlights from the Premier League 2 game will also be made available after the match at whufc.com and on the YouTube channel shortly after, as will exclusive reaction from the fixture.
Team News…
Lead coach Mark Robson will be hoping the contingent of called-up Academy youngsters will return from the international break with a clean bill of health.
The likes of Divin Mubama, Ollie Scarles, Krisztian Hegyi and Armstrong Okoflex have all been away with their respective nations over the past ten days.
With Junior Robinson recently unavailable due to injury, Dan Chesters has performed at right wing-back and could be asked to fulfil the role again on Saturday.
With West Ham United U18s also playing on Saturday morning, at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, some younger members of the squad may be included in Kevin Keen’s matchday plans instead.
Opposition…
Much like the Hammers, Blackburn Rovers U21s find themselves nervously glancing over their shoulders.
A draw last time out, at home to Arsenal, has moved Rovers out of the relegation zone in Premier League 2 Division 1, but only on goal difference having now played a match more than Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, their two nearest rivals.
Similarly to West Ham, a slow start to the campaign played a big role in their current position. Losses in the first five matches of the Premier League 2 campaign signalled trouble, but three wins on the bounce after suggested a more comfortable season than Blackburn have really enjoyed.
Heading into the final five league matches of the season, Blackburn have lost the joint-most games in the division this campaign, with 13. As such, the next two games, against West Ham and Spurs, could prove crucial in the hunt to avoid the drop.
In order to do so, Blackburn will need to rely on their goalscorers. Striker Harry Leonard has netted eight goals in Premier League 2 this season, while winger Ethan Walker has four. Six other players, meanwhile, have netted more than once for the side this season.
