David Moyes has left a host of his West Ham stars at home for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup trip to Lincoln City.
With a third successive European campaign already underway, Moyes is keen to use the third-round tie against the League One side to test his squad depth, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta among those who have not travelled.
Paqueta has started every game of the Hammers’s season thus far, while Ward-Prowse has done likewise since joining from Southampton just after the opening weekend. Bowen, meanwhile, has been in outstanding scoring form, netting in a fourth successive away match in Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool.
Michail Antonio, Alphonse Areola, Emerson Palmieri and captain Kurt Zouma have all also been rested, but Moyes is still expected to name an experienced side as he targets a place in the fourth round.
Summer signings Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mohammed Kudus are expected to start in a lineup that could look similar to that which faced Serbian side Backa Topola in last week’s Europa League opener, meaning further opportunities for players like Danny Ings, Thilo Kehrer and Pablo Fornals, who have struggled for first-team involvement of late.
Academy teenagers Jacob Knightsbridge and Kaelen Casey have also travelled with the squad.
