Jack Wilshere will get the chance tonight to stake a claim for a starting place against his former club Bournemouth on Saturday.
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is set to make a host of changes for the Carabao Cup tie at Oxford and Wilshere is expected to make his first start for a month.
The midfielder has played just 20 minutes since facing Newport in the last round - a match in which he scored - and it has been difficult to see a way back into the team with Mark Noble and Declan Rice certain starters.
However, an injury to Manuel Lanzini has presented a possible opening for Wilshere.
Pellegrini preferred £24million summer signing Pablo Fornals for Sunday’s 2-0 win over Manchester United but Wilshere hopes to seize his chance at the Kassam Stadium and push to start against Bournemouth, where he spent the 2016-17 season on loan.
The former Arsenal midfielder is working to get his career back on track after being hampered by another ankle injury last season.
Pellegrini says Wilshere, 27, is now playing without fear of another injury and has backed him to recover his best form.
The Chilean is set to rest Rice, Noble, Felipe Anderson, Sebastien Haller and Lukasz Fabianski against Oxford, with Robert Snodgrass, Pablo Zabaleta, Fabian Balbuena, Albian Ajeti, Carlos Sanchez and Roberto set to start.
