West Ham early team news v Liverpool: Lopetegui drops Max Kilman update

Julen Lopetegui is likely to be without Max Kilman amid three other key absences when West Ham United host Liverpool on 29 December.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery posted on X (27 December) to report that with Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek suspended and Lukasz Fabianski expected to be out, Kilman faces a race against time himself.

The centre-back was forced off with a shoulder injury 19 minutes into the Irons' 1-0 win at Southampton on Boxing Day, but with a return date yet to be given, he has a 25 per cent chance of facing Liverpool.

In quotes reported by Dinnery's Premier Injuries website (26 December), Lopetegui said: "With Max Kilman, we have to wait, but I am not optimistic with him."

West Ham fans will fear the worst without Max Kilman v Liverpool

Although the Hammers shelled out £40million to buy Kilman from Wolves over the summer, the 27-year-old has hardly set the world alight as part of a new-look defensive setup for Lopetegui's side.

Kilman had, alongside Jarrod Bowen, been an ever-present for Lopetegui this term, but a plethora of different partnerships in the back four haven't helped to establish much-needed defensive solidity.

Heading into their match against a free-scoring, table-topping Liverpool side without Kilman, however, won't inspire much optimism, given the Reds have already netted on 40 occasions this term.

The Irons' defence, on the other hand, is the sixth-worst in the division with 30 goals conceded, and they've already been smashed from pillar to post by Liverpool in the EFL Cup third round.

A four-game unbeaten streak ahead of this game – the longest of Lopetegui's time in charge – will inspire confidence for the Hammers, but without Kilman, the objective could well be damage limitation.

In other West Ham news, Lopetegui could sanction a January transfer which resembles a ‘swap’ despite £66million being on the table.

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