Suspended Lucas Paqueta will miss Saturday's trip to the south coast, as West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo aims to continue the club's upward turn in form since his arrival.
The East London side face a Bournemouth outfit who have struggled for form recently, with one win in four putting a dampener on their strong start. The Cherries have also conceded 10 goals during that spell.
After failing to win at home in almost nine months, the Hammers tasted victory twice in six days at the London Stadium prior to the international break - a break which Nuno described as 'needed'.
"Overall, I think the break was needed. Our international players have returned over the last couple of days. The hard work continues, and the good results we achieved are in the past now"
Nuno ahead of Saturday's trip to Bournemouth 🗣️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 20, 2025
Noticeable absentee
The side has been preparing for this weekend without the services of Lucas Paqueta. The 28-year-old serves a one-match ban having accumulated five bookings, with the Brazilian international becoming a pivotal figure under the new manager.
"I think Lucas is irreplaceable, with what he means for us and what he gives us. He’s a talent and a fantastic player, so really, he is irreplaceable. But, we have to find other solutions."
Iraola respect
While West Ham's recent record against the Cherries sees them unbeaten in their last nine meetings, the omens are less for the managerial counterparts, with Nuno losing all four career games he has faced against Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.
Iraola himself has won many plaudits, with the Hammers manager also a fan of the job the Spaniard is undergoing, and realising the difficulty of the test ahead. "We are talking about a very good team, who have a fantastic manager in Andoni. I’ve known him for some time now, and I really admire him. For sure, they are going to be a tough opponent, and past form goes out of the window. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s over now, and Saturday is going to be a new game for both teams."
Giving youth a chance
One particular name that has united the fanbase is youngster Freddie Potts, with the 22-year-old enjoying a breakthrough season, as he holds down a spot in the centre of midfield. The youth element is something the former Nottingham Forest manager is keen to support, as the club often referred to as 'The academy of football' aim to develop players from within. Nuno confirmed that several academy players have been integrated into the first team environment in the last few weeks.
"We decided to put some of the Academy boys in the first-team environment on a daily basis, so they’re in the changing room, having meals with the squad and are part of the team. They’re doing very well.
They are options, and it’s good for them to increase the levels of competitiveness in training sessions. We are building, and I really think that West Ham needs to have these players around, because there are so many good prospects there. We have videos of games and training sessions, and it’s something we look at very carefully."
It remains unclear if Potts will be available after hobbling off with a leg injury during the 3-2 success over Burnley a fortnight ago. Konstantinos Mavropanos is also expected to face a late test, while Nicolas Fullkrug is still unavailable, as the German is linked with a move back to the Bundesliga in January.
A win for the visitors at the Vitality Stadium would see West Ham move out of the bottom three, while also securing a third successive league win for the first time since December 2023.
