With a 2-1 win apiece in this pre-season fixture over the past few seasons, the Fleet and West Ham’s brightest future stars are finely balanced ahead of a third meeting in three years.
Both previous games have been exciting and entertaining affairs and many of the Hammers players who graced the Kuflink Stadium have gone on to find Championship-level careers in the year or two following their appearance in North Kent.
So that’s the level of player the Fleet squad will be up against this Tuesday night, with a fair number of West Ham’s development squad remaining from last season – a year older and more experienced, and that will give Dennis Kutrieb’s side plenty of transitional and ball-retention tests across the 90 minutes.
Fleet put the defeat(s) to Colchester United behind them last midweek with a fine win over Leyton Orient and continued on that track to see off St Albans City in the rain on Saturday. There were enough changes across those two games to get more minutes into players who perhaps had not enjoyed as much playing time this summer as others – and with just two matches left until “the real thing” begins for the Fleet, this West Ham challenge lands at a perfect time.
Managed by former West Ham and Charlton midfielder Mark Robson, the Hammers development side could include a number of the club’s very promising U18s who won a league and FA Youth Cup double last season. The development squad had a slightly less successful time of it in Premier League 2 but nevertheless there are plenty of players who boast youth international honours and are on the cusp of first-team squad involvement.
Plenty of players have had some form of UEFA European Conference League experience at some stage last season, a competition that the Hammers of course triumphed in back in May against Fiorentina.
U18 strikers Divin Mubama and Callum Marshall have caught the eye, with the former having been on first-team duty earlier this summer so he may not make the trip to the Kuflink Stadium.
Elsewhere, appearances could come from Brazilian defender Luizão, signed from Sao Paolo, plus promising youngsters such as Freddie Potts, Daniel Chesters, Keenan Appiah-Forson and Kaelan Casey.
Tickets are on sale online until 5.30pm and you can also purchase at our ticket windows up to kick-off.
• Supporters are advised to park in Ebbsfleet International Car Park C, just a short walk from the entrance. The special matchday rate of £3 applies.
