Nuno Espirito Santo to axe Callum Wilson in nine changes – West Ham predicted lineup vs Bournemouth
Nuno Espirito Santo will make plenty of changes to his starting line-up when West Ham face Bournemouth at the London Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers qualified for the fifth round of the FA Cup by beating Burton Albion 1-0 on 14 February with a much-changed side.
Nuno now goes up against Andoni Iraola’s side, who are on a five-game unbeaten streak in the top flight, at the London Stadium for what promises to be an entertaining clash.
While the match will prove to be tough for the Hammers, Nuno will certainly feel his players have enough to secure a much-needed three points in the relegation fight.
Taty Castellanos to come in for Callum Wilson among nine changes
After playing well against Burton, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Soungoutou Magassa could be the only players to retain their places in the starting line-up.
Up front, Wilson will undoubtedly be dropped for Castellanos, who has had a brilliant start to life in E20.
The Argentine has already scored two goals for West Ham, with his powerful header against Burnley on 7 February showcasing the quality he has in the opposition box.
| Stat | Castellanos |
| Appearances | 6 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Shots per 90 minutes | 2.82 |
| xG | 1.87 |
According to Sofascore, he has won 2.5 duels per league game, and he will certainly be more of a handful than Wilson, who has won just 36.3 per cent of his ground duels all season.
Wilson may have scored twice at the Vitality Stadium in the reverse fixture on 22 November, but hardly any fans can make a case for him starting over Castellanos based on current form.
Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen should come back into the side for Keiber Lamadrid and Adama Traore, while Tomas Soucek and Mateus Fernandes will replace Ollie Scarles and Mohamadou Kante.
After impressing in his first two games, Axel Disasi will be brought in for Max Kilman, while El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will resume their roles ahead of Ezra Mayers and Kyle Walker-Peters.
The final change should see Mads Hermansen replace Alphonse Areola in goal, with Nuno currently favouring the Dane over the Frenchman.
Axel Disasi faces tough test against Bournemouth’s young attackers
Having joined the Hammers on loan from Chelsea, Disasi was phenomenal in the games against Burnley and Man United.
The French defender’s physicality has enormously helped the backline, and he has already struck up a promising partnership with Mavropanos.
As the left centre-back, he’ll have to deal with Brazilian youngster Rayan, who plays on the right wing.
The 19-year-old has three goal contributions in his first three matches for the Cherries and has adapted to the Premier League with relative ease.
Meanwhile, Eli Junior Kroupi has excelled in the top flight, scoring eight goals across the campaign.
Both teenagers are on fire, and Disasi will have to lead the defence with authority throughout the 90 minutes if he wants to prevent them from lighting up yet another game for the Cherries.
For more expert analysis and news on West Ham United, check out Football Insider for the latest updates.