Stevenage vs West Ham preview: Team news, predicted line-up, how to follow
West Ham United go in search of their first public-facing pre-season win against Stevenage on Wednesday night.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side began their first pre-season campaign as a Championship side since 2011 with a 3-2 win over Colchester United on 14 July.
However, that was a game played behind closed doors, with the Hammers' first public-facing match of the summer ending in a 1-1 draw against Southend United last Saturday.
For their third pre-season friendly, West Ham travel to Hertfordshire to take on League One play-off semi-finalists from last season, Stevenage.
Alex Revell's side should provide another stern test for the Irons, as we move one step closer to the Hammers' first competitive fixture of the 2026-27 season against Portsmouth in the League Cup on 8 August.
So, West Ham Zone has got you covered with everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday night's 7.45pm kick-off at the Stevenage FC Stadium.
Stevenage FC: How has pre-season gone so far and what can West Ham expect?
Formed in 1976 out of the ashes left from the extinction of Stevenage Athletic, the Boro have been on a real upward curve in recent times.
It was only in 2021-22 that they narrowly avoided relegation to the National League, but would win automatic promotion to League One the following year and have been in the third tier ever since.
Finishing sixth in 2025-26, they were beaten by an aggregate score of 3-0 to Stockport County in the League One play-off semi-finals, but confidence is high that they can go one step further in 2026-27.
Their 43-year-old manager, Revell, has been in charge since April 2024, and is renowned as a highly flexible coach when it comes to his tactics, with Stevenage having lined up with back threes, fours and fives in League One last season.
So far, Boro have played one pre-season friendly against Spanish second division side FC Andorra last Saturday, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Their big threat is carried by veteran striker Jamie Reid, with the 32-year-old scoring 14 goals in League One last season.
So, how can we expect West Ham to line-up against the League One promotion hopefuls?
West Ham predicted line-up vs Stevenage
West Ham Zone has been reporting on Crysencio Summerville's future as he closes in on a move to Roma, and so he surely won't be involved in any capacity on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the likes of Edson Alvarez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, both of whom are being heavily linked with exits, may not play a part either.
In goal, Finlay Herrick could get an opportunity to play, whilst youngsters Jethro Medine and Ollie Scarles could start at the two full-back spots.
At the heart of the back four, Ezra Mayers and Kaelan Casey could be the centre-back pairing, as Nuno may want to take a good look at some of his young talents before making up his mind on potential loan decisions.
Moving into midfield, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa could start together in the middle, flanked by George Earthy on the right and Maxwel Cornet on the left.
Presuming that Nuno will play a 4-4-1-1, 19-year-old Under-21s standout Josh Ajala could get the nod in the number 10 role behind returning Bochum loanee Callum Marshall.
We're expecting Nuno to use this game as a golden opportunity to take a look at as many fringe and young players as possible, but will Hammers fans be able to watch the game live?
How to keep up with Stevenage vs West Ham
In a show of strong support, West Ham fans have sold out their ticket allocation for Stevenage, with 1,363 heading down to Hertfordshire.
If you're not one of those, then unfortunately, the match isn't being live streamed so you won't be able to watch Nuno's side in action.
However, you can follow all the events of the game for free via the live blog on West Ham's official website, or via the club app, with the updates starting from around an hour before the scheduled 7.45pm kick-off.
West Ham have also confirmed that both a match report and highlights of the match will be available shortly after the final whistle blows.