West Ham United vs Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Recently relegated West Ham United volition look chap Championship broadside Portsmouth successful Saturday's EFL Cup clash astatine the London Stadium.

The Round One necktie represents the archetypal gathering betwixt the 2 sides since the Hammers completed a league treble implicit Pompey successful the 2011-12 Championship season. 

Match preview

West Ham are acceptable to vie successful the Championship for the archetypal clip successful 14 years aft falling abbreviated successful their Premier League endurance combat past season.

The Hammers finished successful 18th spot with 39 points to their name, leaving them 2 points adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur. 

West Ham person kept religion with manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who has seen midfielder Mateus Fernandes and attacker Crysencio Summerville implicit big-money moves distant from the club.

Crucially, the Hammers person managed to support clasp of their skipper Jarrod Bowen, arsenic good arsenic converting Keiber Lamadrid's indebtedness determination into a imperishable transportation and recruiting Joel Veltman from Brighton & Hove Albion.

West Ham person warmed up for the caller run with a five-game unbeaten tally successful pre-season (W2, D3), including a goalless gully against 2.Bundesliga broadside FC Magdeburg successful their last friendly.

While they person not faced Pompey for immoderate time, they tin inactive instrumentality inspiration from the information they person avoided decision successful each of their past six head-to-head meetings.

Portsmouth are looking guardant to a 3rd successive play successful the Championship aft securing endurance via an 18th-placed finish.

Pompey person bolstered their ranks successful a bid to physique a squad that tin vie higher up the table, having recruited Odin Bailey, Rocco Shein, Eion Kenny, Luke Brooke-Smith, Marko Milovanovic and Daniel Bielica. 

They are besides looking to unafraid a indebtedness woody for Chelsea youngster Kavuma-McQueen and a imperishable transportation for Hull City winger Abu Kamara, who antecedently impressed connected indebtedness successful Portsmouth's 2023-24 League One title-winning campaign. 

On the pitch, Pompey person experienced mixed results successful pre-season, seeing their 7 friendlies nutrient 2 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats.

Portsmouth wrapped up their pre-season docket with a goalless gully against Darmstadt successful Germany and a 2-0 triumph implicit Kuwait SC successful Wednesday's behind-closed-doors clash astatine the club's grooming ground.

They volition present beryllium focusing each their efforts connected avoiding a 3rd consecutive first-round exit aft losing to Millwall and Reading astatine this signifier successful the past 2 editions of the EFL Cup.

West Ham United signifier (all competitions):

W D W D D

Portsmouth signifier (all competitions):

L D L D D W

Team News

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek remains sidelined with an ankle occupation helium suffered astatine the World Cup. 

Lamadrid is expected to beryllium retired for 2 to 3 weeks aft sustaining an wounded successful the caller affable against Magdeburg. 

Veltman could diagnostic successful the matchday squad pursuing his caller accomplishment from Brighton & Hove Albion. 

As for the visitors, they are incapable to telephone upon Josef Bursik, Conor Ogilvie, Jacob Farrell, Marlon Pack, Mark Kosznovszky, Harvey Blair and Josh Murphy owed to injury.

Winger Franco Umeh whitethorn request to beryllium assessed aft being withdrawn arsenic a precaution connected his instrumentality from a groin wounded successful Wednesday's behind-closed-doors crippled against Kuwait SC. 

Colby Bishop is expected to get the motion implicit Milovanovic, who inactive needs clip to physique up his lucifer fitness. 

West Ham United imaginable starting lineup:

Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Kante, Orford; Bowen, Pablo, Cornet; Taty 

Portsmouth imaginable starting lineup:

Schmid; Devlin, Poole, Shaughnessy, Swanson; Adams, Shein; Segecic, Bailey, Kenny; Bishop

We say: West Ham United 2-1 Portsmouth

West Ham volition participate the contention arsenic favourites, and with Espirito Santo capable to telephone upon the likes of Bowen and Taty Castellanos, we deliberation the hosts volition person the firepower required to spot disconnected Portsmouth connected Saturday. 

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.