Credit: Imago

Daniel Lewis

Mon 23 March 2026 14:38, UK

West Ham United defender Max Kilman may have already played his final game for the Hammers, according to Roshane Thomas.

Kilman has not featured for West Ham in the Premier League since the end of January, with his only appearance in any competition since then FA Cup win at Burton Albion.

Since that 1-0 win after extra time on 14 February, the defender has had to settle for a place among the substitutes.

That is despite Nuno Espirito Santo losing Jean-Clair Todibo in the warm-up prior to Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Villa Park.

And it may well be that Kilman may not feature again for the Irons as we approach the summer transfer window.

Nuno Espirito Santo once again snubs Max Kilman

As pointed out by Thomas in his article for The Athletic on Monday, “Kilman’s struggles plunged to a new low” at Villa Park.

That is due to Nuno Espirito Santo selecting Freddie Potts to slot into the backline instead of Kilman when Todibo pulled up injured.

Kilman was fit and available, yet he once again had to watch on from the bench as Nuno’s Potts gamble failed to pay off against Aston Villa.

That is made clear in the Sofascore graphic below, with Potts lasting just 45 minutes before being taken off.

Thomas goes on to add in the article that “Kilman may never play for West Ham again” as a result of this latest snub as he is clearly not fancied by Nuno.

Asked about his decision to overlook the 28-year-old, Nuno said it was “based on what we had for the game” and “about controlling the midfield”.

It was far from a straightforward answer to a straightforward question, and many are wondering exactly what Kilman has to do to get another shot.

Nuno sack could yet provide hope for Kilman

There is one scenario in which Kilman could yet play for West Ham United again, but that would mean Nuno being sacked.

The Portuguese’s future is not exactly certain at this stage as West Ham still languish in the bottom three, despite a recent upturn.

Kilman still has a whopping five years to run on the contract signed when arriving from Wolves in a reported £40million deal in July 2024.

Recouping even close to that amount is not possible, so it may well be that Hammers chiefs have a quiet word with Nuno.

For now, though, it seems very unlikely Kilman will play any sort of part in the Irons’ fight for Premier League survival.