Luis Guilherme may be handed full debut amid West Ham injury latest v Newcastle
West Ham could hand Luis Guilherme a first Premier League start when they travel to Newcastle on Monday.
The Hammers are in desperate need of a win as they sit in 14th place in the league only three points above the relegation zone.
Manager Julen Lopetegui is under heavy pressure due to the Irons’ poor start to the season and it has been reported by the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg that he will be sacked unless results improve in the next two matches against Newcastle and Arsenal.
His job has been made even harder with doubts over the fitness of Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta ahead of the St James’ Park contest, while Niclas Fullkrug is also still out.
West Ham need Luis Guilherme to impress
A £25million addition from Palmeiras in Brazil, Guilherme has been restricted to two appearances from the bench so far in the Premier League.
However, with the pressure rising rapidly on Lopetegui, he needs the 18-year-old to make an immediate impact if called upon.
If Bowen is ruled out, it would be a huge blow, as he is by far the Hammers biggest contributor so far this campaign – his five league goals and assists are three ahead of Mohammed Kudus, who has two.
The 18-year-old started 18 matches last season for Palmeiras and notched one goal and one assists, so perhaps it is not fair to expect him to help turn around the Irons’ fortunes, but if he is replacing Bowen he cannot be a passenger.
Throwing the youngster in at the deep end could be a disaster but some players thrive under the pressure and become key assets for their clubs and Guilherme has the talent to do so.
Lopetegui likely needs to gamble with his selection decisions to keep his job and this one that may be forced onto him may just work.
In other West Ham news, Julen Lopetegui believes signing Youssef En-Neysri could save his job at the Irons in a £17m swoop.
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