Eight Hammers prepare for action

Eight senior West Ham players have been included in their countries’ squads for the games in Qatar and as we explained at the outset will only be bringing news of Hammers involved out there and in other internationals.

Aguerd (Morocco), Areola (France), Kehrer (Germany), Paquetá (Brazil) and Rice (England) are all off to the competition while Saïd Benrahma (Algeria), Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček (both Czech Republic) will be involved in friendly international matches for their respective countries.

A tenth player, 20-year-old goalkeeper Krisztián Hegyi, has been included in Hungary’s squad for two U21 international friendly fixtures.

Beyond the Qatar games some players will be involved in warm up affairs with Aguerd’s Morocco take on Georgia in one such warm-up match in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday 17 November.

Areola and defending champions France will not play a warm-up match, Kehrer’s Germany have been drawn with Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group E.

Paquetá and Brazil begin their quest for a record sixth World Cup against Serbia on 24 November at the Lusail Stadium at 7pm. Rice and England take on Iran, USA and Wales in Group B.

Benrahma’s Algeria will take on Mali in a friendly in Algiers on Wednesday 16 November, then travel to Malmö to face Sweden on Saturday 19 November.

Coufal and national-team captain Souček will feature for Czech Republic in friendly matches on the same dates with the Faroe Islands in Olomouc and Turkey in Gaziantep respectively.

Hegyi and Hungary U21s travel to Belek in Turkey to take on Azerbaijan and Denmark on Thursday 17 November and Sunday 20 November.