Millwall v West Ham Preview: Line-ups & Predicted Teams | Nuno Ready For Intimidation

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)

Millwall v West Ham United
EFL Championship
The Den
Saturday 19 September 2026, 12.30pm BST

This is far more important than Fulham

This match is far more important to West Ham than Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Fulham. Promotion is the priority, and victory at The Den would extend our winning league run to five matches while potentially sending the Hammers into the international break sitting top of the Championship.

The 3-2 defeat against Fulham did not reveal anything particularly concerning. West Ham did not play badly and remained in the tie until the final whistle, but the players appeared to lack the intensity they have shown during recent league games.

If anything, that suggested their priorities were aligned with mine. The Championship matters more, and Nuno’s rotated Fulham selection made it obvious that Millwall was the game he was targeting.

The occasion must not surprise West Ham

This is a big game, but for me, that is primarily because there are three points at stake rather than because Millwall are our rivals.

The coaching staff must make sure West Ham’s players understand how feisty the atmosphere will be. There are West Ham supporters and former Hammers players within Nuno’s backroom team, so communicating the importance of the occasion should not be a problem.

Many of the overseas players will have experienced fiercely contested local derbies in their previous leagues and countries. They do not need to be frightened by The Den, but they must not walk onto the pitch surprised by it either.

As Millwall defender Caleb Taylor has already warned, the atmosphere will be “proper intimidating”. Nuno’s players should expect noise, hostility and an opponent desperate to beat them.

The historical roots of the rivalry run incredibly deep, as explained in our look at the story behind the Dockers Derby. Once the whistle blows, however, West Ham must concentrate on playing football.

Nuno should restore his strongest attack

Nuno should return to the side which demolished Wrexham 6-0.

Jarrod Bowen, Manor Solomon, Joël Piroe and Taty Castellanos combined brilliantly in that game. The front four produced movement, pace and attacking patterns which Wrexham simply could not handle.

The player ratings from that six-goal victory reflected just how dominant West Ham were. Bowen and Solomon were outstanding, while Piroe and Castellanos both scored and worked well together.

That attacking unit was effectively protected against Fulham and should be fresh enough to start at The Den.

Divine Mukasa and Arne Engels should also resume their central-midfield partnership. They have developed an excellent understanding and possess enough energy, technical ability and physical strength to deal with the occasion.

I expect Nuno to return to his preferred 4-4-2.

Veltman could help take the sting out of the game

Kyle Walker-Peters does not necessarily start automatically at right-back despite his excellent recent performances. Joël Veltman only lost his place because of the injury he sustained against Wrexham. If he is fully fit, I would be tempted to select him at The Den.

Veltman appears to appreciate a confrontation and possesses excellent leadership skills. His experience and composure could help take some of the early sting out of the contest, particularly if Millwall attempt to turn the opening stages into a scrap.

However, my prediction is that Nuno will be cautious with Veltman’s fitness and start Walker-Peters.

At left-back, I expect Morato to continue. He performed well against Wrexham and also scored against Fulham, although playing as a full-back in this atmosphere will provide another significant test.

Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos should return together in central defence. Their partnership has developed well, and there is no reason to separate them for such an important league fixture.

Millwall’s motivation only goes so far

Millwall are dangerous because they will be enormously motivated. This is very much their cup final, and their players will be determined to use the atmosphere to make West Ham uncomfortable.

However, motivation and feistiness do not necessarily compensate for a lengthy injury list. Millwall have numerous fitness concerns and could be missing several important players.

As I wrote earlier, fire and brimstone will only take Millwall so far. They still have to deal with one of the best attacks in the Championship.

West Ham have scored 16 goals during their four-match league winning run. If Bowen, Solomon, Piroe and Castellanos perform anything like they did against Wrexham, Millwall will find it very difficult to prevent the Hammers from scoring.

The challenge for West Ham is to stay composed, avoid becoming involved in unnecessary confrontations and ensure the crowd is not given additional encouragement.

Gonzo’s predicted West Ham team

I expect Nuno to return to 4-4-2 and restore the majority of the team that beat Wrexham.

Veltman could be extremely useful if fit, but I suspect Walker-Peters will retain the right-back position. Morato should continue on the opposite side, with Mukasa and Engels reunited in midfield.

Position	Player
GK	Mads Hermansen
RB	Kyle Walker-Peters
CB	Max Kilman
CB	Konstantinos Mavropanos
LB	Morato
RM	Jarrod Bowen
CM	Divine Mukasa
CM	Arne Engels
LM	Manor Solomon
ST	Taty Castellanos
ST	Joël Piroe

Gonzo’s prediction

Millwall will be fired up and the atmosphere will be hostile, but West Ham possess far more attacking quality.

The home side’s aggression may make the opening stages uncomfortable, but I cannot see their motivation compensating for so many potentially absent players. If West Ham remain composed and impose their football on the game, Millwall will struggle to contain the front four.

Prediction: Millwall 1-3 West Ham United