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Football London
Football London
Sport
Jonty Colman

The seven academy players spotted in West Ham first-team training ahead of Chelsea fixture

West Ham United will look to build on their improved start to 2023 by taking points off of Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime.

The Hammers host the Blues looking to avenge their controversial 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, with Maxwel Cornet’s last-gasp equalising goal harshly ruled out after a lengthy VAR stoppage.

Ahead of the game, a number of academy players have been spotted in first-team training this week, suggesting they may be involved, or potentially included on the bench, against the Blues this weekend.

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A series of Twitter videos and a photo gallery have been published by the club, giving an insight into who from the academy may get a call-up against Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Krisztian Hegyi made the bench for the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United on Saturday, with Alphonse Areola struggling with a hamstring injury. Hegyi was shown practising his goalkeeper during a shooting drill.

Striker Divin Mubama and centre-back Levi Laing both made the bench during the recent FA Cup fourth round win away at Derby County. With injury issues in both positions, it comes as no surprise with Kurt Zouma and Gianluca Scamacca currently sidelined.

Another four players have been pictured as part of first-team training this week. Midfielders Freddie Potts, Kamarai Swyer and Keenan Appiah-Forson have all been pictured, as has centre-back Kaelan Casey.

Casey, Potts, Appiah-Forson, Swyer and Mubama all featured for the first-team during their Europa Conference League win away at Romanian side FCSB back in November.

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