Nuno Espirito Santo shows brutal side already as talks held with West Ham United player
West Ham’s lineup for Nuno Espirito’s first game in charge against Everton has been announced.
West Ham face David Moyes’ Everton, with hopes of getting their season back on track after a disastrous opening six games.
Nuno replaced Graham Potter on Saturday morning, despite the former Chelsea boss being on his way to Rush Green to take training.
The game against the Toffees is highly anticipated, with Nuno eager not to make wholesale changes, but some omissions from the starting lineup have been noticed.
Nuno Espirito Santo explains why James Ward-Prowse was dropped
Nuno elected to keep James Ward-Prowse at home for the fixture against Everton, with the 30-year-old not traveling with the first-team squad.
The decision comes as a surprise given the lack of depth in the middle of the park, but it comes following a spell of poor form from the midfielder.
In dropping Ward-Prowse, Nuno has done what Potter failed to do, with the Portuguese manager’s predecessor consistently favouring him in midfield.
Nuno has now spoken out on the decision, with the midfielder’s future at the London Stadium uncertain.
“Tough decisions, but we have to make big decisions. Making the best option for this game, so James is not involved. I had a chat with James and he understands,” Nuno told Sky Sports ahead of kick-off.
- Potter was booed for his decision not to substitute James Ward-Prowse in last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace
- The midfielder has lacked energy, with the Hammers easy to open up through the middle this season
Ward-Prowse has been replaced by Soungoutou Magassa in midfield, despite the 21-year-old having played minimal football.
It has been no secret that Nuno is an admirer of his, with the France international a target for Nottingham Forest over the summer.
“I think he is a player who can bring some physicality in the middle of the park, so we look forward to seeing him,” Nuno added.
James Ward-Prowse could return to Southampton in January
It had been thought that when negotiations started for Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes, the Hammers would be open to letting Ward-Prowse go the other way.
The latest news coming out of East London suggests that for future games, the 30-year-old is unlikely to be involved.
Ward-Prowse will be keen to gain more minutes on the pitch, and both parties could elect to offload him in January.
The ex-Saints midfielder was linked with a move away over the summer, but Potter elected to keep him.
His £120,000 a week wages make a permanent exit difficult, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave on loan to a Championship side, and possibly Southampton.
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