West Ham youngster Xande Silva is in line to be selected in the squad to face Fulham on Saturday evening, according to club insiders Claret and Hugh.
The West Ham news site, which has extensive links inside the London Stadium, claim that Lucas Perez will not recover in time to take up a place in the squad.
Claret and Hugh also claim that Andy Carroll is only 75% fit, meaning the never-before-seen Silva is set for a first-team bow against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
OPINION
There is obviously an argument to be had that Silva will make his long-awaited first-team bow against Fulham, but West Ham fans shouldn’t get too excited about that prospect just yet. Firstly, Silva was touted to make his first appearance in the senior squad last weekend against Crystal Palace, but never made it onto the bench despite being present at the London Stadium for the match. Secondly, even if he does make the bench on Saturday, there is no guarantee that he will make it onto the field, with Carroll still likely to be a substitute option for Manuel Pellegrini. So, while there will rightly be excitement if he does make the squad, the likelihood of him actually playing is still not too high. Silva’s time will eventually come though, with the young Portuguese in seriously impressive form for the Under-23s this season, with Pellegrini well aware of his talents.