Emerson starts for West Ham against Chelsea today but Niclas Fullkrug misses out in the Premier League.

Fullkrug, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund this summer, missed the 1-1 draw with Fulham last weekend with an Achilles tendon injury sustained midway through the international break with Germany.

It is touch and go as to whether the striker is fit in time to face Chelsea. Emerson, meanwhile, was withdrawn just before the hour mark at Craven Cottage with an injury problem.

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“Fortunately, it wasn’t a big knock for Emerson”, Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s still Thursday and so 48 hours or so before the match, so there is still time where we need to review things. We will evaluate him again tomorrow [Friday] and see where we are.”

Lopetegui added that 31-year-old Fullkrug is yet to be passed fit and that a late decision will be taken on whether to name him in the squad at the London Stadium.

“We are trying to recover all the players, and we have to wait until the day before the game to know more about all of them”, Lopetegui said.

“That includes Niclas. He has had a different kind of problem to Emerson, and really we just have to wait until Friday to know what is going to happen.”

Of the striker, the Irons chief added: "He's trying to be ready and OK.

"But we have to have the last view with the medical team."

West Ham starting XI (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Rodriguez, Paqueta; Summerville, Bowen, Kudus

Subs: Fabianski, Cresswell, Soler, Coufal, Antonio, Ings, Todibo, Soucek, Irving

Time and date: 12:30pm BST today on Saturday 21 September 2024

Venue: London Stadium