Richmond v Port Adelaide
May 28 LIVEWhen and where to watch West Ham vs Silkeborg
Our coverage from the London Stadium gets underway at 7.45pm (KO 8pm) on Thursday 27 October, live on BT Sport 2.
West Ham vs Silkeborg match preview
West Ham have already secured qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League ahead of Thursday night’s game against Silkeborg.
Top spot is also guaranteed with two matches to spare, so this perhaps offers David Moyes an opportunity to rest players and experiment slightly before the focus returns to the Premier League.
The Hammers will be keen to extend their 100% winning record in the Conference League so far and will hope to start building momentum after their 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday night.
They face a Silkeborg side themselves looking to progress into the next round, sitting second on six points after back-to-back wins in the competition.
West Ham only narrowly beat their Danish opponents in the reverse fixture, so they will be wary of underestimating the challenge, particularly if Moyes opts to rotate as expected.
But the Conference League has been relatively straightforward for the London outfit, who are alongside Villarreal as the only team to have won every group game.
It should be another victory for West Ham on Thursday night, but avoiding any complacency will be key.
West Ham vs Silkeborg predicted teams
West Ham: Areola; Johnson, Zouma, Ogbonna, Coufal, Rice, Lanzini, Emerson, Fornals, Bowen, Antonio
Silkeborg: Larsen; Sonne, Salquist, Felix, Klitten, Kiynge, Gojani, Thordarson, Jorgensen, Helenius, Kusk
West Ham vs Silkeborg: Injuries and suspensions
Craig Dawson and Maxwel Cornet both missed West Ham’s win over Bournemouth through injury and neither are expected to return for Thursday night’s game.
Lucas Paqueta is also out with a shoulder injury and defender Nayef Aguerd has only just returned to training.
Silkeborg are without Mark Brink and Lukas Engel, who both have hamstring injuries, while Pelle Mattsson, Gustav Dahl and Niclas Holm Pedersen are doubts.
West Ham vs Silkeborg: Form guide
West Ham’s form has picked up over the last month after a slow start to the season. They have lost once in their last six in all competitions, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
There was some fortune in the 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Monday, but performances have improved of late and the Hammers have risen to tenth in the Premier League.
In the Conference League, as mentioned, Moyes’ side have won four out of four and look like genuine contenders to win the competition.
Silkeborg’s form is less convincing. The Danish side have gone three games without a win domestically and sit fourth in the Superliga, conceding goals at an alarming rate.
Head coach Kent Nielsen will know his side must improve defensively after a 3-2 loss to Horsens on Sunday, which followed a 3-3 draw against Randers.
Last time out in the Conference League, though, Silkeborg did manage an emphatic 5-0 win over bottom side FCSB.
Form (last 6 matches)
West Ham - LWWDLW
Silkeborg - WWDWDL
He said what?!
David Moyes has made clear his ambitions in the Conference League this season:
“I see this as an opportunity to go really far in another competition. My aim is to go further than the semi-final and do better.
“Even to win the FA Cup or League Cup in this country is really difficult. We have to try and do everything we can to win this competition. It's job done so far.”
Last time they met
The first meeting between the two teams came in mid-September, when West Ham were enduring a difficult run in the Premier League.
And it proved a closer contest than many expected. Kasper Kusk gave the hosts the lead after just five minutes at JYSK Park, forcing the away side to move up the gears.
Manuel Lanzini levelled from the spot before Gianluca Scamacca scored his third goal in a West Ham shirt.
Dawson appeared to have put West Ham in a comfortable position, netting shortly before half-time, but Silkeborg’s Søren Tengstedt made it a nervy finish with a 75th-minute strike.
West Ham vs Silkeborg: Players to watch
Kasper Kusk, who scored the early goal against West Ham in Denmark, is a dangerous player and one of the more experienced of Silkeborg’s squad at 30.
A technically-gifted winger, Kusk typically lines up on the right of the front three and looks to cut inside onto his stronger left foot.
He scored twice in his side’s thrashing of FCSB, a game that demonstrated Silkeborg’s attacking qualities, albeit against weaker opposition.
West Ham will also be wary of the threat of both Sebastian Jorgensen and Nicklas Helenius, who have scored 14 goals between them in all competitions this season.
