West Ham have been handed a welcome boost ahead of the showdown with Liverpool, with three players returning to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad but there’s one big doubt.
The Hammers face out-of-sorts Liverpool at the London Stadium on Sunday.
West Ham are looking to continue their upward trajectory in the Premier League after taking seven points from their last three games.
Liverpool, meanwhile, lost 4-1 at home to PSV in midweek, their ninth defeat in their last 12 games.
The unprecedented poor form of Liverpool will give West Ham major encouragement they can get a result.
Major West Ham boost with trio back for Liverpool
Arne Slot has admitted West Ham worry him since the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo.
That will not be the only thing concerning Slot after an official Premier League announcement ahead of the West Ham vs Liverpool clash.
Now the Reds boss has fresh concerns after West Ham received a major triple boost ahead of the game.
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What do West Ham have to do to beat Liverpool this weekend?
“It just becomes a mess for Liverpool, and they’ve got a huge problem defending set-pieces. Everyone now is going to play on that fact.”
– Jamie Carragher
“I would describe [our form] as ridiculous, almost. Something I did not expect. That is unbelievable. Unexpected for the club, for me and everyone”
– Arne Slot
“This season, we don’t have any consistency. We concede far too many goals, we are losing battles, and everyone is responsible for it”
– Virgil van Dijk
But the positivity comes with a worrying caveat for the Hammers, as fears grow that one key star may not make the clash.
It’s a mixed update that gives West Ham hope — but also Nuno a headache — as preparations continue for one of the season’s toughest tests regardless of Liverpool’s woeful recent record.
Konstantinos Mavropanos during Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
West Ham have been without defender Konstantinos Mavropanos in recent weeks due to injury.
The Irons were also missing Lucas Paqueta through suspension for the draw at Bournemouth last time out.
Flying winger Crysencio Summerville was a shock omission from the West Ham side at the Vitality after suffering an injury.
Big concern key Hammers star will now miss Liverpool clash
Nuno also revealed after the 2-2 draw that Summerville’s replacement Luis Guilherme was subbed off because he twisted his ankle.
Now West Ham have released footage from training ahead of the Liverpool match.
And it has proved very revealing indeed.
Because Mavropanos is back in full training and available for selection while Paqueta was also fully involved as he returns from his one-game ban to face Liverpool.
Guilherme has also made a speedy recovery with the Brazilian winger in full training too.
Paqueta, Mavropanos and Guilherme available for Liverpool
Pacy Summerville is absolutely crucial to the way Nuno wants West Ham to play, at speed on the counter-attack.
After the flying Dutchman missed the draw with Bournemouth, a prominent West Ham insider claimed Summerville had only suffered a minor knock.
Hammers News put it to the top spokesman for West Ham’s board whether Summerville would be fit for the Liverpool game.
The club remained understandably tight-lipped simply replying: “Sorry, confidential.”
Lucas Paqueta kisses the West Ham badge as fans celebrate his goal at Nottingham Forest and Crysencio Summerville joins in
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
But, worryingly, Summerville was nowhere to be seen in West Ham’s training footage less than 72 hours out from Sunday’s 2.05pm kick-off.
Of course that does not necessarily mean Summerville won’t be available for the game.
He still has Friday and Saturday to train and be ready for selection.
Nuno will certainly be hoping for a fantastic four in terms of team selection boosts.
Liverpool face late calls on Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike but are likely to be without Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.
West Ham and Liverpool have faced one another on over 150 occasions since the start of the 20th century, and the head-to-head stats are certainly stacked in the Reds’ favour – as they would be with most other teams.
Liverpool have won 86 times to West Ham’s 29.
A 3-2 win over the Reds at the London Stadium in November 2021 was the only time West Ham have triumphed against the Merseysiders in the last 19 meetings between the clubs in all competitions.
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