West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest starting lineups confirmed: Visitors receive Murillo boost

West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have announced their first XIs for Sunday's Premier League fixture.

Nuno Espirito Santo had decisions to make over the fitness of Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi ahead of his side's crucial encounter at the London Stadium.

The Portuguese has received a double boost with both players passing their respective fitness tests, with Murillo being handed an immediate recall to the middle of the backline.

Nevertheless, Hudson-Odoi being able to return to the substitutes' bench is a further positive for the East Midlands outfit as they bid to respond to last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City.

Murillo replacing Morato in defence is the only alteration made by Nuno, with Nicolas Dominguez retaining his role on the left flank ahead of Jota Silva.

Forest head into the game aware that only a victory will realistically be enough if they wish to remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

© Imago

West Ham unchanged

Meanwhile, Graham Potter has opted to keep the same starting lineup from last weekend's 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

That means that the Englishman has retained a 3-4-1-2 formation, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus leading the line.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains at left wing-back rather than the right, with Vladimir Coufal staying in that role despite his - as well as Aaron Cresswell's - impending exit from the club.

West Ham United XI: Areola; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Wan-Bissaka; Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse; Soucek; Bowen, Kudus

Subs: Fabianski, Soler, Paqueta, Fullkrug, Mavropanos, Guilherme, Alvarez, Emerson, Ferguson

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Wood

Subs: Miguel, Morato, Hudson-Odoi, Toffolo, Jota, Yates, Sosa, Danilo, Abbott