West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has confirmed a key change to his starting lineup ahead of the Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool, along with a positive update on player fitness.
The Hammers head to Anfield midweek after a difficult run of form, failing to win any of their last three matches and suffering a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in their most recent outing.
As a result, they enter the tie as underdogs, with Liverpool, despite head coach Arne Slot likely rotating his squad, still strong favourites to progress to the fourth round.
However, West Ham are boosted by good news on the injury front, as striker Niclas Füllkrug has returned to training this week.
Füllkrug, who joined from Borussia Dortmund for £27 million in the summer, has yet to make a significant impact, but Lopetegui expressed his excitement about having “the full squad available” during Tuesday’s press conference.
Similar to Slot, the Spanish manager is expected to rotate his team, and he confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański will start between the posts.
Fabiański has been used as a backup to Alphonse Areola in the Premier League but remains Lopetegui’s go-to choice for cup competitions.
Lopetegui also hinted at further changes, noting that “for sure there are going to be changes.” He was pressed on whether new signings, such as midfielder Carlos Soler and centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, will feature.
Todibo, who started only once this season during the second-round victory over Bournemouth, was substituted at halftime in that match.
Meanwhile, Soler, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, has played just 56 minutes across two league appearances as a substitute.
“We have a lot of new players, players who have never played in the Premier League, and of course all of them have to adapt as soon as possible,” Julen Lopetegui explained.
“We’ve had to help them, that’s why we are one team that is in construction.
“We’d like that to happen as soon as possible, and to be ready to have our best face in the rest of the season.
“But it’s true that we have to help a lot of them to adapt their skills to be able to compete with us.”
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