West Ham United will have the opportunity to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup when they face AFC Wimbledon at the Kingsmeadow on Saturday.
The Hammers have been eliminated from two of their last four FA Cup ties against League One opposition, and will be keen to avoid a defeat this weekend.
West Ham team news
Manuel Pellegrini will continue to miss out on the services of Jack Wilshere, Winston Reid, Andriy Yarmolenko, Carlos Sanchez and Fabian Balbuena. Ryan Fredericks is a doubt too.
Predicted West Ham United lineup vs AFC Wimbledon
Defence
Pellegrini is expected to shuffle his defence with the Chilean having one eye on the important league fixture against Wolves next week.
Therefore, Michail Antonio and Arthur Masuaku might start as the full-backs, replacing Pablo Zabaleta and Aaron Cresswell. Masuaku, in particular, will hope to leave a mark after failing to make the starting eleven for the past six games.
Pellegrini will be forced to retain the central defensive partnership of Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna due to West Ham’s lack of resources in the defensive department. As a result, those two are the only viable options available for the Chilean at the moment.
Lukasz Fabianski will make way for Adrian in goal, with the Spaniard expected to resume his role as the cup goalkeeper.
Midfield
Declan Rice should definitely be given a breather as he could play a key role in the games next week. He will most likely make way for Pedro Obiang in central midfield.
The Spaniard will be partnered by Mark Noble, who will look to use his composure and passing in order to maintain West Ham’s dominance over their League One side.
Attack
Grady Diangana is a guaranteed starter on the right side of the attack, and he will look to use his pace and dribbling ability to breach the Wimbledon defence.
Felipe Anderson is likely to be given a rest, paving the way for Robert Snodgrass to occupy the left-wing slot. Samir Nasri will continue to feature as the lone attacking midfielder.
And finally, the West Ham attack will be led by Javier Hernandez, who will be given a run out after returning from an injury that kept him out on the sidelines for a few weeks.
