Whether West Ham will try to pull a fancy pre-match, on-pitch reveal of their new goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, I couldn’t say. The Hammers face Lille at the London Stadium today in what will be the final official pre-season friendly before the serious Premier League action begins next weekend.
Hermansen will at least be watching the game as the club rubber-stamps his £18m transfer from Leicester. I’d expect to see Alphonse Areola between the sticks for this one as Graham Potter gets as close to his Sunderland starting eleven as possible.
Hermansen in action against West Ham but is unlikely to feature today
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Therefore, Niclas Füllkrug and Jarrod Bowen are likely to start in attack, with the defence being the same personnel as in the last friendly against Bournemouth. However, it’s in midfield where the West Ham boss has the biggest decisions to make.
Edson Álvarez needs game time, but most fans will want to see Freddie Potts given another chance in the engine room. If Potts doesn’t start this game, then it’s unlikely he’ll start next week. I suspect only one place is up for grabs alongside James Ward-Prowse.
Callum Wilson could make his debut off the bench, although it would be good to see Callum Marshall also get a run-out. Overall, it should be an interesting game, with Lille having lost former Irons transfer targets Jonathan David and Angel Gomes this summer.
How to watch West Ham vs Lille
The game will not be televised in the UK.
Live stream: Fans can watch the match live on West Ham’s official streaming service, WHTV, which is free for season-ticket holders, while the pay-per-view costs £4.99. ST holders should just log into the official website using their usual login.
Kick-off is at 3pm.