West Ham United v LOSC Lille
Pre-Season Cup, London Stadium, Saturday 9 August 2025, 3pm BST
Head Coach Graham Potter has named an unchanged West Ham United team from the Premier League Summer Series win over AFC Bournemouth in Atlanta last weekend for Saturday’s Pre-Season Cup meeting with French club LOSC Lille at London Stadium.
With just a week to go until the Hammers kick-off the 2025/26 Premier League campaign at newly promoted Sunderland, Potter has potentially given a strong indication of the starting XI he will pick at the Stadium of Light.
France international Alphonse Areola starts in goal, having kept a clean sheet against Bournemouth at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In front of him, Potter names the same back five as he did against the Cherries.
Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka and summer arrival El Hadji Malick Diouf, the Senegal international signed from Slavia Prague, will fill the wing-back positions.
The trio of Jean-Clair Todibo, Maximilian Kilman and Nayef Aguerd will play in the centre of defence, from right to left. Last season’s ever-present Kilman and Morocco international Aguerd will be wearing their new squad numbers, No3 and No5 respectively.
Academy of Football graduate Freddie Potts starts for the third pre-season match in a row, having caught the eye anchoring the midfield as a substitute against Manchester United, then from kick-off against Everton and Bournemouth.
James Ward-Prowse maintains his ever-present pre-season record as he is named in the starting XI for the fifth game out of five, having done so at Grasshopper Club Zurich in Switzerland and in all three Premier League Summer Series matches.
Lucas Paquetá completes the midfield three, having started there against Bournemouth and up front in the previous fixture against Everton. The Brazilian has scored in pre-season wins over Grasshopper and Everton.
Up front, captain Jarrod Bowen and Germany international Niclas Füllkrug both hit the net against Bournemouth in Atlanta, while Bowen also hit the net against Manchester United in New Jersey and Füllkrug the winner against Everton in Chicago.
West Ham’s two other pre-season goals in the 3-1 win over Grasshopper were scored by Andy Irving and Callum Marshall.
Newly capped Scotland midfielder Irving is one of the eleven named substitutes, but Northern Ireland striker Marshall is not involved this afternoon.
Two goalkeepers are named on the bench in Wes Foderingham and 17-year-old Academy of Football prospect Lanre Awesu. Summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters, Greece international Dinos Mavropanos and 19-year-old Ollie Scarles are the defensive options.
Mexico captain Edson Álvarez, Argentina international Guido Rodríguez, Academy of Football prospect Lewis Orford and Czechia captain Tomáš Souček are the midfielders on the bench, while Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme is an attacking alternative.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Diouf, Potts, Ward-Prowse, Paquetá, Bowen ©, Füllkrug
Subs: Foderingham (GK), Awesu (GK), Walker-Peters, Scarles, Mavropanos, Álvarez, Rodríguez, Orford, Irving, Souček, Luis Guilherme
LOSC Lille: Bodart, Mandi, Alexsandro, Mukau, Perraud, André © Ngoy, Haraldsson, Correia, Broholm, Giroud
Subs: Sajous (GK), Baret, Bentaleb, Bouaddi, Burlet, Cossier, Diakité, Diaoune, Fernandez-Pardo, Sahraoui, Touré
Referee: Darren England
