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West Ham youngsters to be given pre-season shot by Pellegrini

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West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is set to give promising pair Joe Powell and Marcus Browne the chance to earn their places among the first team for next season in their pre-season preparations, according to Football.London.

The football news website claim that the duo, who are aged 20 and 21-years-old respectively, are set to be given the chance to impress the Chilean boss this summer, with the possibility that they could be in and around the senior side during the 2019/20 campaign.

The young pair, who have been barely seen by the West Ham faithful during their fledgling careers, both with one first team appearance totalling 28 minutes for Powell, which saw him notch two assists in the 8-0 win over Macclesfield, and 15 minutes for Browne in their Europa League qualifier versus Astra Giurgiu back in 2016.

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After Declan Rice’s big breakthrough into the senior side, the Irons will be hoping they can replicate his success year on year – which means getting a good idea of who looks ready for first team action over the summer. Powell and Browne were both out on loan last summer, the former to Northampton Town in League Two and the latter to Oxford United in League One – leaving them a huge gulf to bridge if they want to be playing Premier League football next season. It would require either of them to demonstrate a serious improvement in their abilities to make that step up and the likelihood is that they are facing a season with the under-23s – where Pellegrini can keep a closer eye on their development – or time back out on loan to earn first team football elsewhere. They are obviously well thought of by the Hammers coaching staff to even be in consideration of a senior opportunity but taking that chance is a whole different kettle of fish entirely.

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