Hermansen and ‘hidden weapon’ – Which West Ham players could make debuts vs Sunderland
West Ham have had a big turnover of players despite struggling to complete much business so far this summer.
In just three days, Graham Potter’s side will visit the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland on 16 August, looking to put last season’s disappointment behind them.
Four new arrivals have checked in, with the Hammers looking to make Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes their fifth addition as they push to reach an agreement.
Potter faces a series of dilemmas when it comes to picking his starting 11, with debuts guaranteed for their Premier League opener.
Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf nailed on to start vs Sunderland
Out of those four new arrivals, Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf are comfortably the most likely to start against the Irons.
Potter was left unimpressed with Alphonse Areola last season and is set to axe the Frenchman from his squad in favour of Hermansen.
Meanwhile, Diouf has impressed during pre-season and has already been described as a “hidden weapon” for the Hammers.
Emerson may be forced to watch on from the bench after being linked with a move away, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka could have to slot in as a third centre back.
However, several others are anticipated to make their full debut against Regis Le Bris’ newly promoted side.
Potter to hand out four full debuts vs Sunderland
Callum Wilson recently signed for the Irons, though he isn’t expected to start against the Mackems after not featuring in preseason.
Kyle Walker-Peters has yet to make his first start after signing from Southampton, but he becomes a viable option from the bench immediately.
Having featured regularly in preseason, Freddie Potts could make his first Premier League start, with Potter struggling for depth in midfield.
With that said, fans can expect to see several new faces take to the pitch in their top-flight opener.
- El Hadji Malick Diouf – Definitely
- Mads Hermansen – Almost definitely
- Kyle Walker-Peters – Likely
- Freddie Potts – Likely
- Callum Wilson – Unlikely
West Ham are far from done with their transfer business, either, with several more signings expected before the deadline on 1 September as they look to accelerate their summer plans.
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