Josh Cullen and Nathan Holland are the only academy players that will be in West Ham’s squad to face AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, according to a club insider.
ExWHUemployee, who is a reliable source of Hammers information, shared via their Twitter that as far as they were aware Cullen and Holland were set to be on the bench for the League Cup clash against The Wombles.
No Cullen and Holland are the only academy players in the squad and they will be on the bench as far as I know https://t.co/R3hBLVZk3r
— ExWHUEmployee (@ExWHUEmployee) August 27, 2018
The insider was asked whether defender Reece Oxford would be in the squad for Tuesday’s game and ruled out that possibility.
OPINION
Cullen and Holland have a real opportunity to show Manuel Pellegrini what they can do on Tuesday and must grab their chance. While both will likely have to wait until the manager opts to deploy them in the game as they’re due to start on the bench that shouldn’t faze them. Holland in particular has the skills needed to make a quick memorable impact even if he only sees 10 minutes of action against AFC Wimbledon. The winger, who can excel on either flank, has the speed and bags of tricks to cast spells over his opponent and could easily send Hammers fans home happy. Holland has only ever previously been unleashed in one competitive match for the senior side so will be eager to showcase his talents on Tuesday. As for Cullen the central midfielder must go into the game against the League One opposition feeling confident as for a long period of time in the summer, it looked like his bags were packed. However the 22-year-old must have shown Pellegrini that he was worth keeping and just needs to do that again in a competitive game environment.
