One West Ham player guaranteed to return vs Newcastle with Lopetegui to make decision on another

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has issued a stern warning to his squad, insisting that they cannot use the congested fixture list as an excuse for their recent lacklustre performances. The Hammers, who have lost two of their last four Premier League matches, are set to face Newcastle on Monday night.

Lopetegui, who succeeded David Moyes in the summer, has been under scrutiny, particularly after a disappointing goalless draw against Everton prior to the international break. Despite the pressure, the Spanish coach remains focused on extracting the best from his team.

A revitalised Arsenal side are set to visit the London Stadium on November 30, followed by a midweek journey to Leicester and back-to-back Monday night games against Wolves and Bournemouth. Lopetegui emphasised that the busy schedule should not affect his players' approach to each match.

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"It is true that on paper this is a tough challenge – for one, it is on a Monday, in a tough environment [at Newcastle], but I don’t want to make excuses," he stated. "We have to be ready to play on any day of the week and I think this is a good opportunity to show how competitive we can be."

At a press conference, Lopetegui acknowledged: "We know things are going to get busy now at the end of November and going into December.

"It is a key time because we have a lot of matches in quick succession, but we are working hard all the time and we are confident we have the quality to get the results we are after."

Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been stepping up his recovery towards full match fitness and could leave Lopetegui with a choice to make. "There is a lot of competition in the squad, which is good," the Irons boss said.

"We have more than one good goalkeeper and I make the decision about who to play based on what I think is right for that match. It depends on what I have seen in training or how I feel. Lukasz Fabianski worked really hard and got his chance, but let’s see now.

"Alphonse is fit again, so we have to pick from very strong options."

Midfielder Edson Alvarez will be available again after a one-match suspension for his sending off in the 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Mohammed Kudus, though, is still serving out an extended five-game ban in the wake of his red card at Tottenham last month and the Football Association disciplinary charge which followed.