West Ham Set for Secret Friendly as Nuno Makes International Break Plan

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

West Ham have arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly at Rush Green next week as Nuno Espírito Santo looks to keep his players match sharp during the international break.

Speaking to a club source this morning, Claret & Hugh were told: “We wanted to schedule a match to keep the players fresh.”

The identity of the opposition has not been disclosed, but C&H understands the Hammers will face seasoned opposition rather than simply staging another 11-a-side training game.

Nuno balances rest with match fitness

As Martin reported earlier this week, Nuno has given his players some much-needed time off following what has been a gruelling start to the season.

West Ham have continually been asked to play twice per week, including a particularly demanding spell of five games in 15 days. With the Championship now paused for an unusually long three-week international break, allowing the squad some recovery time made complete sense.

However, once the players are rested, Nuno clearly does not want those remaining at Rush Green to spend the entire break without competitive football. A behind-closed-doors friendly offers something significantly closer to a proper match than anything that can be replicated on the training pitch.

This type of fixture has been a regular feature under Espírito Santo since he became West Ham manager just under a year ago.

West Ham should still field a strong team

The make-up of Nuno’s side should be reasonably strong despite the international call-ups, with the likes of Tomáš Souček, Jarrod Bowen and Arne Engels not heading away on international duty.

Souček’s involvement would be particularly interesting as the midfielder continues his return from the ankle ligament injury which has prevented him playing a competitive minute this season.

There should also be an opportunity for Nuno to experiment with his attacking options. Manor Solomon is away with Israel while Edvin Austbø has joined Norway Under-21s, removing two of West Ham’s natural options on the left flank.

With the opposition currently being kept under wraps, it remains to be seen exactly how strong the test will be. But after giving his players the chance to put their feet up, Nuno clearly intends to make sure they don’t spend three weeks gathering rust.