West Ham starting XI vs Newcastle confirmed with Edson Alvarez suspension confusion cleared up

Much of the pre-game chat centred around whether or not Edson Alvarez was available for selection.

The 27-year-old picked up two yellow cards away at Nottingham Forest earlier this month, and then missed our clash with Everton a week later through suspension.

However, this is where it gets interesting.

Because of his sending off away at Liverpool earlier this season, many thought he would then receive a two-game ban after his red card at Forest.

However, claims emerged suggesting that that in fact wasn’t the case, as the Premier League apparently didn’t include Carabao Cup games in their totting up rules.

The Premier League’s own official website supported that by suggesting that Alvarez was available for selection for the Newcastle game.

But then Lopetegui bizarrely ruled Edson out during his pre-match press conference.

Now we have our answer.

West Ham starting XI vs Newcastle, Alvarez confusion cleared up

Lopetegui has named arguably his most important team selection of the season for the Newcastle clash.

And all eyes are on Alvarez.

Is he in the team or not?

Here’s how the Hammers line up, as confirmed via the club’s official X account.

Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Emerson Palmieri, Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio

So there you have it, Edson Alvarez is suspended for tonight’s game – the Premier League were actually wrong after all.

The team selected by Julen Lopetegui is a decent one, but our lack of power and pace in central midfield really concerns me.

I feel like we will get played through with ease.

That said, the West Ham starting XI selected by Lopetegui is certainly capable of causing Newcastle problems.

I hate to say it, but I can see a comfortable win for the Magpies tonight.

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