The potential absence of Crysencio Summerville leaves Nuno Espirito Santo with another selection headache when West Ham United host Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
Hammers News have been told that Summerville remains touch-and-go for the visit of Daniel Farke’s side, yet to fully recover from the calf injury he suffered in the fifth round victory over Brentford.
This is just one of a number of decisions facing Nuno Espirito Santo; dreaming of a semi-final at Wembley but also desperate to avoid further injury scares with West Ham United’s Premier League status on the line.
Wembley awaits the winner!
What is your favourite FA Cup moment of 2026 so far? 🏆
Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the match during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between West Ham United and Brentford on March 9, 2026 in London, England.
But when we asked our TalkingPoint users to pick their preferred XI, the response was one of a fanbase keen not to let a rare opportunity slip through the grasp. West Ham haven’t reached the FA Cup semi-finals since 2006, after all.
West Ham United fans select Mads Hermansen, Mohamadou Kante and Callum Wilson
At the time of writing, nearly three quarters of you voted for Mads Hermansen to start in goal ahead of Alphonse Areola. One suspects 69 per cent of you will be disappointed.
Nuno views Areola as his go-to ‘cup goalkeeper’, meaning the experienced Frenchman will presumably be given the chance to build on his penalty shoot-out heroics against Brentford; Areola left Dango Ouattara looking pretty foolish after making child’s play of his ill-advised Panenka.
Alphonse Areola during West Ham United v Brentford - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Our TalkingPoint users also selected a typical back-four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Disasi, Konstantinois Mavropanos and El Hadji Malick Diouf, though there are some who would like to see Kyle Walker-Peters given a rare start.
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Mohamadou Kante edges out Tomas Soucek to partner Mateus Fernandes, although this may have changed by the time you are reading this. The Pilsners would certainly have been flowing freely after Soucek’s Czech Republic broke Danish hearts in Tuesday’s World Cup play-off.
Let’s hear it then – what have you made of Adama Traore so far? 🤔
Not much game time but have you seen anything that’s impressed you?
A graphic asking West Ham fans to grade Adama Traore's performance so far.
Credit: Getty Images/Rob Newell – CameraSport
Callum Wilson narrowly beats out Pablo Felipe in the battle to partner Taty Castellanos. Again, at the time of writing. And while Adama Traore received only four percent of the vote, that is still enough to secure him a place on the wings in Summerville’s potential absence.
When you consider that the other alternatives are an out-of-position Pablo and the untested Keiber Lamadrid, Traore does feel like the most suitable, if not the most enticing, replacement.
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