The 6 players set to miss West Ham v Portsmouth on Saturday | OneFootball

The players set to miss the EFL Cup clash between West Ham and Portsmouth

West Ham and Portsmouth will begin their upcoming campaigns this weekend with the first round of the EFL Cup.

The Hammers suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, and as a consequence they will be competing in the first round of the cup.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side will host Pompey on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off, with both sides looking to progress to the next round.

The two clubs will also want to put in a strong performance ahead of the Championship season getting underway in the following weekend.

The London outfit will be aiming to earn automatic promotion back to the Premier League, while John Mousinho’s side have their sights set on improving on their 18th place finish from 2025/26.

Here we look at all of the players from both sides who are set to miss their EFL Cup clash on 8 August…

West Ham injuries

Tomas Soucek

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Tomas Soucek competed in the World Cup earlier this summer with the Czech Republic, but he suffered a significant injury issue that is set to keep him on the sidelines.

The 31-year-old is a key figure for West Ham, but he will be absent for the start of the campaign after going off with an injury in the 3-0 loss to Mexico in the final group game.

Souceck suffered a ligament injury in his ankle, and will not be available for the clash against Portsmouth.

The Czech international is unlikely to feature for at least a couple of months as he continues his work back to full fitness.

It’s been reported that it will take him up to three months to recover from this ankle issue, meaning fans will have to wait a while before his return.

Soucek could be back in the side following the end of the September international break, but no specific timeframe has yet been given for when he’ll be available for selection again.

Keiber Lamadrid

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Keibar Lamadrid was the first permanent addition to the West Ham squad this summer, but he will not have the chance to make his debut when Espírito Santo’s side faces Portsmouth.

It’s been reported that the winger has suffered a knee injury as part of the Hammers’ pre-season, meaning he will be absent this weekend.

It’s believed that the 22-year-old is unlikely to be available for their opening league fixture either, with a timeframe of two to three weeks given for his recovery.

Portsmouth injuries

Franco Umeh

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hamstring injury suffered in a pre-season friendly against Kuwait SC earlier this week.

The 21-year-old is unlikely to feature against the Hammers in a fresh blow to Mousinho’s side before the start of the campaign.

Harvey Blair

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Harvey Blair’s availability is also in question after an issue with his hip during the club’s trip to Darmstadt.

Injuries have plagued his time at Fratton Park over the last couple of years, and could now keep him out of the season-opener in the EFL Cup.

Josh Murphy

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Josh Murphy did not travel to Germany due to an injury setback after undergoing groin surgery back in April.

It’s believed that the winger will miss the opening weeks of the new season, ruling him out of the trip to the London Stadium.

Keshi Anderson

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Keshi Anderson was ruled out for up to three months with a quad injury suffered during pre-season.