Credit: Imago

Samuel Fabre

Thu 2 April 2026 17:10, UK

Pablo could be dropped when West Ham United host Leeds United in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are one point adrift of safety in the Premier League with seven games to go, but they’ll have to turn their attention to the FA Cup this weekend.

Having knocked out QPR, Burton Albion and Brentford on their way to the quarter-finals, West Ham fans are incredibly hopeful that they can qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since 2016.

Nuno Espirito Santo has done a good job in E20, although the next few games will determine the opinion on his appointment in September.

West Ham’s FA Cup meeting with Leeds could have huge ramifications on how both teams finish the season, and Nuno could recall Callum Wilson in place of Pablo.

Callum Wilson replaces Pablo in two changes

The 22-year-old arrived in E20 off the back of a brilliant start to the season with Portuguese side Gil Vicente, although he has found it tough to adapt to the English top flight.

Pablo is still waiting to score his first West Ham goal, although that never looked like happening at Villa Park.

He won 25 per cent of his aerial duels and only had one shot on goal against the Villans.

According to Sofascore, he registered just two touches in the opposition box, which shows how ineffective he was.

Therefore, Callum Wilson could take his place in the side, with the 34-year-old striker likely to have a bigger impact in the final third.

Another change could see Crysencio Summerville returning to the side after spending a month out injured, with Freddie Potts making way as Nuno could opt for a two-man midfield.

And the final tweak should see Mads Hermansen make way for Alphonse Areola.

The rest of the team should remain the same, and Taty Castellanos needs to find a way of scoring on a more consistent basis.

How has Taty Castellanos fared in his first few months at West Ham?

Castellanos has been a brilliant signing for West Ham since joining in the winter transfer window from Italian side Lazio.

While his goalscoring record might not be fantastic, his play on and off the ball has allowed Summerville and Jarrod Bowen to thrive out wide.

According to Sofascore, the Argentine has recorded 2.29 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League, and it’s clear that he has been a huge threat to opposition defences, despite going off the boil in recent weeks.

With only three goals in 14 games, the Hammers clearly need more from him if they want to avoid relegation and progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

A strong performance against Leeds would allow him to regain confidence at the perfect time, which could make a huge difference for West Ham’s season.