West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini will likely only rest a few first-team players for the FA Cup match against AFC Wimbledon this weekend due to the club’s injury situation.

Youngsters Xande Silva and Grady Diangana started the 2-0 victory over Birmingham City in the last round of the competition and it is expected that the pair will feature again at Kingsmeadow.

Whether Marko Arnautovic will return to the squad for the cup tie, it remains to be seen. The Austrian was left out of the 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend as he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play due to speculation over his future.

The Hammers are still without seven first-team players. Andry Yarmolenko (Achilles), Fabian Balbuena, Winston Reid, Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sanchez (all knee) and Ryan Fredericks (shin) remain out of contention.

However, Jack Wilshere is close to making a return from an ankle injury. It is believed he should be back training with the first-team squad at the beginning of February.

AFC Wimbledon should have Steve Seddon fit for the weekend. The left-back missed the 3-0 defeat to Fleetwood on Tuesday due to a hamstring injury.

Rod McDonald (ankle) and Kwesi Appiah (hamstring) should also be ready to start, but striker James Hanson is still sidelined with a groin problem.

West Ham are hot favourites for the FA Cup tie at the bookies. They are 1/2 odds-on at 888 Sport while a draw is 7/2 at Bet365. A shock win for Wimbledon is 6/1 at William Hill.

West Ham’s Predicted XI To Face AFC Wimbledon:

Adrian, Antonio, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Rice, Obiang, Diangana, Snodgrass, Silva, Carroll

Wimbledon’s Predicted XI:

Ramsdale, Watson, Thomas, McDonald, Seddon, Oshlaja, Nightingale, Pinnock, Barcham, Appiah, Pigott

Predicted Score – 3-0 to West Ham