West Ham face Everton in a game which could decide Julen Lopetegui’s future on Saturday and have just received a humungous boost.
Maybe, just maybe Julen Lopetegui’s luck is turning at West Ham as Everton come to town.
Nobody is kidding themselves that it’s been anything other than a terrible start to life in east London for the Spaniard.
The 57-year-old has failed to inspire fans or – on the evidence so far – the players either.
The Hammers sit 14th in the Premier League as they welcome the Toffees for the 11th game of the Premier League season.
An Everton win would see them leapfrog West Ham.
Should that happen the consequences could be grave for Lopetegui.
There have been conflicting reports about what might happen should West Ham go into the November international break off the back of another defeat.
Some journalists state he will be sacked with a host of managers being linked.
Lopetegui’s job on the line as West Ham face Everton?
Others claim Lopetegui is safe ‘even if the Hammers lose 4-0’.
The highest West Ham can go in the table with a win over Sean Dyche’s side is 12th. Hardly what the club would have been hoping for at this stage after spending over £155m on nine players and hiring a new manager in the summer.
Lopetegui insists the season is a marathon not a sprint and has asked to be judged in May.
All eyes now turn to the visit of Everton to the London Stadium and whether he will get the time he’s asking for.
Particularly as games against Newcastle away and Arsenal at home after the international break look daunting.
What was also daunting was the prospect of West Ham facing Everton without four key players.
Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez are already suspended for the crunch match.
Lopetegui then confirmed he had problems with the potential unavailability of two players for the match which could save his job.
Hammers News exclusively revealed those players were skipper Jarrod Bowen and defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
We reported the monumental blow that Bowen and Todibo were doubts for Everton.
Neither had been training with the team ahead of the game.
Now the best picture you’ll see all week has emerged online as West Ham get a humungous boost for Everton.
Best picture all week as West Ham get humungous boost
West Ham have today been training at the London Stadium rather than Rush Green as they put the finishing touches to their preparations for Everton.
The club’s media team has posted a gallery of pictures from the session on West Ham’s website.
And the great news – particularly for Lopetegui – is that that man Bowen is back ahead of the match.
Picture number five of 16 in the gallery shows the captain training with his Hammers teammates.
That means West Ham fans can be cautiously optimistic their main man will be lining up against the Toffees for such a crucial Premier League clash.
Bowen makes West Ham tick and it didn’t even bear thinking about how the team might look or fare without him.
Particularly with Kudus out too.
It wasn’t all good news for the Hammers, though.
There is still no sign of Todibo with it now looking increasingly likely the £32m French defender might miss out.
With the brilliant news that Bowen looks to be back and available, this is how we expect the Hammers to line up against the Toffees:
Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Soucek, Rodriguez, Paqueta, Summerville, Bowen, Antonio.
Come on you Irons.
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