Team news: Hart makes West Ham United bow in Germany

Lohne

 

Joe Hart makes his first appearance in a West Ham United shirt in this afternoon’s Betway Cup second leg with Werder Bremen in Germany.

The England goalkeeper, who has joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City, starts in Lohne, with the Hammers seeking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to win the trophy.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has opted for a more experienced team for Saturday’s tie after handing starts to a host of promising Academy prospects on Friday evening.

While Bilic picked no fewer than six players aged 21 or under in Schneverdingen, he has named seven full internationals in his starting XI for Saturday afternoon.

Hart starts in goal, with a back four of Pablo Zabaleta, Jose Fonte, Angelo Ogbonna and Arthur Masuaku.

Captain Pedro Obiang anchors the midfield alongside Academy of Football graduate Josh Cullen, with new boy Marko Arnautovic making his first start alongside Robert Snodgrass and Edimilson Fernandes, with Andre Ayew up front.

Slaven Bilic will be without Manuel Lanzini, who has a minor knee injury which is being monitored, and Mark Noble, who left Friday’s game with a minor toe injury.

Sofiane Feghouli has returned for England to receive treatment for a hamstring problem while three other absentees, Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho and Chicharito, remained a the team base in Rotenburg to work their way back to full fitness.

Michail Antonio (hamstring) and Andy Carroll (hip) are continuing their own rehab work at Rush Green.

Werder Bremen have also named a more experienced starting XI than they fielded on Saturday, with four of the team which started at Borussia Dortmund on the final day of last season recalled – Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney, Germany internationals Max Kruse and Fin Bartels and Senegal centre-half Ludovic Sane.

Summer signings Czech Republic goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka, Sweden defender Ludwig Augustinsson and Chinese striker Yuning Zhang are also in Alexander Nouri’s starting XI.

 

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka, Caldirola, Sane, Bauer, Augustinsson, Delaney, M.Eggestein, Bartels, Kainz, Kruse, Zhang

West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Fonte, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Obiang (c), Cullen, Fernandes, Arnautovic, Snodgrass, Ayew
Subs: Adrian (GK), Byram, Burke, Collins, Cresswell, Rice, Makasi, Holland, Martinez