Dugout Discussion

West Ham v Sunderland team news: Xhaka ruled out

24 January 2026 620 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
Share:

Before the rumoured bedlam that will erupt with the release of the Manchester City teamsheet, we’ve got a more low-key start to Gameweek 23.

West Ham United v Sunderland gets us underway at 12.30pm GMT.

TEAM NEWS

The team news is fairly straightforward in east London, with West Ham unsurprisingly unchanged from their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

El Hadji Malick Diouf has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but has to settle for a place on the bench. Ollie Scarles keeps his place at left-back.

Lucas Paqueta‘s absence was confirmed by Nuno Espirito Santo on Thursday.

Something that Regis Le Bris didn’t do on the same day was divulge information about Granit Xhaka.

The Swiss international, one of just four Fantasy midfielders who were ever-present starters this season, misses out through injury.

Eliezer Mayenda takes his place.

That’s the only change from Gameweek 22.

The Black Cats have two of their own returning AFCON representatives on the bench, namely Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi.

The Gameweek 23 matches are a re-run of the opening weekend of the season. In the reverse fixture of this encounter, Sunderland beat West Ham 3-0 on Wearside.

LINE-UPS

West Ham XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Mavropanos, Scarles, Soucek, Fernandes, Bowen, Pablo, Summerville, Castellanos.

Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Ward-Prowse, Wilson, Diouf, Magassa, Potts, Kante.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Hume, Sadiki, Le Fee, Mundle, Mayenda, Brobbey.

Subs: Patterson, O’Nien, Geertruida, Cirkin, Rigg, Diarra, Adingra, Isidor, Talbi.

620 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Lol at the way Scarles kicks his trailing leg back

    Open Controls
  2. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Mukiele cooked 🙁

    Open Controls
  3. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Ballard -1

    Open Controls
  4. Sgt. Schultz
    • 9 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Ballard YC

    Open Controls
  5. adstomko
    • 9 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Ballard yellow for nothing.
    I’m official retiring.

    Open Controls
  6. TyroneGAA
    • 8 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Binned on a wildcard ..

    Open Controls
    1. Sun God Nika
      • 5 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Benched 🙁 need haaland and gruno to stay away this weekend

      Open Controls
    2. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Same

      Open Controls
  7. Mighty Duck
    • 1 Year
    2 months, 20 days ago

    It actually was FC Xhaka all the time.

    Open Controls
  8. shirtless
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    Went Thiago(c), not swapped Foden for Bruno yet though as I got Enzo in.

    Open Controls
  9. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 9 Years
    2 months, 20 days ago

    I got rid of Bowen 🙂

    Open Controls
  10. Machine Gun Skelly
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Not great having Mukiele and Roefs in my team, accidentally left Anderson on my bench

      Open Controls
    • TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Finally rewarded for owning Bowen.

      Open Controls
      1. FPL Blow-In
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Well done.

        Open Controls
      2. Cojones of Destiny
        • 8 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        same grats mate he still owes us for selling thiago

        Open Controls
    • Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Had a choice last week of either doing Foden > Wirtz or else Bowen to Ekitike.
      Of course I sold Bowen and kept Foden.

      Open Controls
    • FOREST FOREVER 2
      • 1 Year
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Happy as a Bowen owner.
      Not happy as a Forest fan.

      Open Controls
    • Nightf0x
      • 10 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Alison (dub)
      Timber mukiele gabriel (richards keane)
      Bruno rice enzo gordon (king)
      Tiago haland watkins

      initial thoughts, which ?

      A) alison to sanchez
      B) king to yermy/KDH, bench gordon
      C) gordon to rogers/sarr/yermy/KDH/ndiaye
      D) do A & B or C with a -4

      Open Controls
      1. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Too many games before next deadline.
        Gordon out probably as an owner.

        Open Controls
    • PartyTime
      • 4 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      I TC'd Haaland. Out of the loop. Lol @ me guys ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

      Open Controls
      1. FPL Blow-In
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Who’s your vc

        Open Controls
    • Gudjohnsen
      • 9 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      Alderete in the scout team

      Those guys don't know anything

      Open Controls
      1. FPL Blow-In
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        In my team too. I don’t know anything either mind

        Open Controls
        1. ΒAZEΛOS
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          Same here

          Open Controls
      2. adstomko
        • 9 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        He’s actually been playing well to be fair

        Open Controls
      3. Sgt. Schultz
        • 9 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Scout Curse

        Open Controls
      4. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Looking good for defcon

        Open Controls
    • F4L
      • 11 Years
      2 months, 20 days ago

      maybe spurs weren't actually THAT bad last gw to lose to west ham

      Open Controls
      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 15 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Nah, spurs are terrible

        Open Controls
        1. F4L
          • 11 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          i thought they might be but then they dominated dortmund midweek, abit confused by them

          Open Controls
          1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
            • 15 Years
            2 months, 20 days ago

            Terrible in the league

            Somehow their setup makes them quite good in the champions league (so far)

            Open Controls
          2. x.jim.x
            • 11 Years
            2 months, 20 days ago

            German league is even worse than ours

            Open Controls
      2. Revival
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        If any team is on a poor run of results they just need to play Spurs to get a confidence boosting victory. Burnley got a chance of a win today.

        Open Controls
    • martynteresa
        2 months, 20 days ago

        OOh my pregame prediction of 4-0 with a Bowen hattrick is getting closer
        Dont have Bowen and havent all season

        Open Controls
      • JBG
        • 7 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Yeah I ruined Roefs

        Open Controls
        1. JBG
          • 7 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          Also, OFC Bowen gets points when I sold him for Ekitike

          Open Controls
      • Jet5605
        • 11 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Was so close to attacking this 3 game block before last weekend's games with Alderete or Mukiele. Lucky escape.

        Open Controls
        1. Jet5605
          • 11 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          *tbf Mukiele did get a 6 pointer last week

          Open Controls
      • Punned It
        • 1 Year
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Bowen on pens, eh? Interesting. He basically saved my last five weeks last season.

        Open Controls
        1. Goro Majima
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          Same - pushed me into the top 100k with his goals.

          Open Controls
      • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 15 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Reinaldo yellow

        Open Controls
      • fedolefan
        • 11 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Bowen on 0 defcons. Get involved brev!

        Open Controls
        1. JBG
          • 7 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          Exactly, what's with these goals and assists

          Open Controls
          1. fedolefan
            • 11 Years
            2 months, 20 days ago

            Yeah, no free pass on defending just because you score and assist.

            Open Controls
      • Pep Roulette
        • 8 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        I won't mind and Alderete 3 pointer

        Open Controls
        1. Pep Roulette
          • 8 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          an**

          Open Controls
      • ΒAZEΛOS
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Don’t even know what the point of playing Sunderland’s defenders.
        Alderete is very deflating to own.

        Open Controls
      • The Philosopher
        • 5 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Should've capped Bowen ffs

        Open Controls
        1. panda07
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          At least you have him.

          Open Controls
      • JBG
        • 7 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        WH 3-0

        Open Controls
      • The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Wow

        Open Controls
      • Sgt. Schultz
        • 9 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        Screamer
        Fernandez

        Open Controls
        1. Sgt. Schultz
          • 9 Years
          2 months, 20 days ago

          Mateus Fernandes G

          Open Controls
      • Pep Roulette
        • 8 Years
        2 months, 20 days ago

        West Ham are cooking

        Open Controls

      You need to be logged in to post a comment.