West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is likely to bench Lucas Paqueta and Carlos Soler for the game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, according to GiveMeSport.

Both players started the 2-1 win over Manchester United but they were hauled off at the interval following an awful first-half display.

Paqueta has been struggling for form since the start of the season, having scored 2 goals and provided 0 assists in 11 appearances for the Hammers.

Many believe that the 27-year-old’s upcoming hearing for spot-fixing has affected his form but Lopetegui can’t afford to be too sympathetic as he continues to search for his best eleven.

Soler did not impress on his first league start

Many assumed that Crysencio Summerville would start on the left wing against the Red Devils, with Mohammed Kudus suspended following his sending-off against Tottenham.

However, Lopetegui surprisingly opted for Soler. The Spaniard looked very uncomfortable out wide and, in hindsight, it seemed like the wrong decision to play him out of position on his full league debut.

Unlike Paqueta, who has consistently underperformed since the beginning of the campaign, you feel that Soler needs more time to acclimatise to English football and we may see the best of him later in the year. For now, though, the loan signing from Paris Saint-Germain may have to be satisfied with a place among the substitutes.

West Ham have a tough game this weekend

Based on recent seasons, an away trip to Forest should not be feared but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have started this campaign in phenomenal form.

They have only lost once in 9 games, and they currently sit 7th in the Premier League table, just two points off Arsenal in 3rd. Getting a result at the City Ground would be significant and Lopetegui looks set to ring the changes to give his team the best possible chance of winning the match.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here