West Ham United conclude their pre-season preparations for the 2022-23 season with a friendly battle against Ligue 1 outfit Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes's side most recently played out a 1-1 draw with Luton Town, while Les Sang et Or claimed a memorable 1-0 victory over Inter Milan.
Match preview
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Despite narrowly missing out on a place in European football last term, Lens proved that they can go toe-to-toe with some of the finest opposition that the content has to offer last weekend, as Franck Haise continues to lead Sang et Or to new heights.
Against an Inter Milan side boasting the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez, a 90th-minute goal from new signing Lois Openda got the job done for the Ligue 1 side, who have been as much of a surprise package in their homeland over the past couple of years.
Since leading Lens back to Ligue 1 in 2020, Haise has achieved back-to-back seventh-placed finishes with Les Sang et Or, who must now prepare for a new season without two previous mainstays in Cheick Doucoure and Jonathan Clauss, while Simon Banza and Corentin Jean have also moved onto pastures new.
However, keeping hold of midfield maestro Seko Fofana would represent a true statement of intent from the European outsiders, who have won four of their five friendly matches so far this summer, conceding only one goal in the process.
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One positive for David Moyes is that his West Ham side have managed to find the back of the net in all six of their pre-season games so far, but on a negative note, the capital club are now winless in four exhibition matches after being held to a 1-1 draw by Luton Town.
Tomas Soucek met Aaron Cresswell's cross to head home the opener at Kenilworth Road last weekend, but Sonny Bradley bundled home from a corner routine with minutes remaining to condemn West Ham to a third 1-1 stalemate in pre-season.
The Hammers have also failed to beat Boreham Wood, Reading and Rangers on their travels in the summer exhibition period, which began with back-to-back wins over Servette and Ipswich Town, but there is a new number nine - or number seven - in town.
Indeed, West Ham have won the race to sign much-coveted striker Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo - beating Paris Saint-Germain to his signature - but his acquisition was accompanied by an announcement video which had to be redone due to a spelling error in the Italian's name.
Not one of West Ham's summer friendlies has taken place at the London Stadium, and a baptism of fire soon awaits them there in the Premier League, with none other than champions Manchester City visiting on day one.
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Team News
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Lens goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez is working his way back from an ACL injury which could render him unavailable until February, so new signing Brice Samba will face English opposition not long after his switch from Nottingham Forest.
Adam Buksa has also arrived at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis with an ankle fracture and will miss out, leaving Openda, Florian Sotoca and Ignatius Ganago to battle for spots in the final third.
The injury-plagued Gael Kakuta has also picked up a fresh problem that could rule him out of Saturday's contest, which would allow David Costa to act as the creative hub.
Lens are not the only ones with injuries to new arrivals to worry about, as Nayef Aguerd sustained an ankle ligament injury in the recent defeat to Rangers and has since been forced to undergo surgery.
Fellow centre-backs Craig Dawson and Issa Diop will need assessing as well due to knocks, so Ben Johnson could once again be partnered with Kurt Zouma at the back.
Any debut for Scamacca this weekend is likely to come from the bench, as Michail Antonio spearheads a familiar-looking Hammers attack.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Fofana, Haidara; Costa; Sotoca, Openda
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Johnson, Zouma, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio
We say: Lens 2-2 West Ham United
There is no reason for Lens to believe that they cannot conclude their pre-season with another memorable win after getting the better of Inter Milan, and a West Ham defence potentially missing as many as three centre-backs is there to be exploited.
Les Sang et Or's defensive record also makes for positive reading, but with an added bite to their attack in the form of Scamacca, Moyes's side can continue their hot goalscoring streak in an entertaining score draw.
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Ben Knapton
