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West Ham seek to extend unbeaten run as they host Palace

(Photo: PA)

Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham will hope to continue their positive start to the season when they host Crystal Palace at the London Stadium.

Two of the Premier League’s top ten face off at the London Stadium as West Ham look to continue a run which has seen them unbeaten since an opening day defeat to Manchester City.

Their cause may be helped by Roy Hodgson’s unwanted record of six away visits to West Ham without a victory as a manager. Palace have won their three of their last five games including a comfortable 2-0 victory over Norwich last time out.

West Ham rescued a draw at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth last weekend and could welcome back Manuel Lanzini into the starting line-up, the Argentinian enjoying a scoring record of four goals in five games against the Eagles.

Team news

Pellegrini will be without one of his most creative midfielders for the contest as Jack Wilshere is sidelined for the visit of the Eagles.

Perhaps the biggest recent injury blow for the Hammers came in their draw with Bournemouth as Lukasz Fabianski (thigh) has been ruled out for a substantial amount of time expected to be several months.

Elsewhere, Winston Reid (knee) and Michail Antonio (hamstring) are not fit to feature for the home side.

One of Crystal Palace’s scorers last weekend, captain Luka Milivojevic, is suspended for the tie after accumulating five bookings.

French defender Mamadou Sakho remains the only absentee from Roy Hodgson’s squad.

Home manager – Manuel Pellegrini

Andriy Yarmolenko has been in great form recently for the Hammers and his Argentine manager was evidently confident the Ukranian could keep up the level of his performances in his pre-match press conference:

“He is playing in the way we expected when we bought him. Last year he was playing well against big teams also, but he had that bad injury. He is returning well and keeps playing well.”

Away manager – Roy Hodgson

Hodgson spoke about the importance of his absent captain Milivojevic ahead of the fixture:

“Luckily in the midfield area we do have options, we have possibilities there. It’s not an area we’re short of options. It’s simply a case of replacing him with another midfield player, though we’re disappointed to lose him because he’s such an important cog in our wheel. He’s not one we’d want to lose going into a game of this magnitude.”