Three West Ham players surely facing the axe vs Man United amid fallout
West Ham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Liverpool on 30 November when they host Man United on 4 December.
Liverpool outclassed West Ham in a 2-0 win at the London Stadium as the supporters were let down by their players yet again.
However, making the deadlines in the defeat was Lucas Paqueta who should get some help after his red card against Liverpool, according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett.
In a bid to put the disgraceful behaviour of the Brazilian behind them, Nuno Espirito Santo will need to make some cutthroat decisions to his team selection against the Red Devils in order to get back to winning ways.
Callum Wilson
Whilst the Englishman has been in recent good form after notching three goals in his last three matches, he was far quieter against the Reds.
Callum Wilson mustered just one shot at goal in 78 minutes in a tepid performance in comparison to his brace a game prior against Bournemouth.
Moreover, given the ex-Newcastle man’s problematic injury history, a rest will certainly be on the cards to ensure he can play as much as possible over the festive period.
Despite Niclas Fullkrug being pursued by Bundesliga giants, the forward is still a hammer for now and will be tasked with holding up the ball to help his side get up the pitch.
El Hadji Malick Diouf
The Senegal international has adapted relatively well to English top-flight football, but he too is in need of a rest, given the hectic schedule that is set to hit all Premier League clubs.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has three assists to his name this season already, but his carelessness on the ball against the Reds was clear to see, potentially hinting at tiredness.
The former Slavia Prague defender lost possession a whopping 23 times, as well as only completing 72 per cent of his passes.
Kyle Walker-Peters, capable of playing on both sides of defence, will be called upon to fill in on the left-hand side.
Moreover, with Diouf set to join up with Senegal for AFCON, Espirito Santo will also want the Englishman to be up to speed to cover effectively in the aforementioned’s absence.
Lucas Paqueta
Indeed, due to suspension it is obvious that the ex-Lyon man will miss the clash against the Red Devils, yet, there is a case that he should be left out of the Irons’ starting XI for the foreseeable future.
Sources told Football Insider that Paqueta is on the radar of multiple clubs ahead of the January window, who want to take advantage of the discontent between the player and West Ham.
The ridiculous second yellow card against Liverpool summarised his 2025-26 campaign in a nutshell: a passionate, talented midfielder with much to give, yet so often lets the Hammers down.
The number 10 did not cover himself in glory in the previous game and, with other players much calmer and better disciplined, Espirito Santo should make the active decision to axe Paqueta from his squad for good and offload him in January.