West Ham United kick off their EFL Cup campaign against Lincoln City away from the London Stadium this evening as they look to bounce back from their defeat at the weekend.
The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League and now have a chance to get back to winning ways against lower-league opposition.
This cup clash with the League One side will provide David Moyes with the opportunity to give players vital minutes to keep them fresh and sharp for the upcoming Europa League and English top-flight matches to come.
One player who must be unleashed from the start is summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who joined from Dutch giants Ajax, as he could form an exciting partnership with Lucas Paqueta at the top end of the pitch.
How many chances has Paqueta created this season?
West Ham's brilliant Brazilian has created eight chances in six Premier League matches to go along with one in one Europa League outing so far.
Paqueta has showcased his ability to split open the opposition's defence to create an opportunity for one of his fellow attackers and has averaged an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.43 in the top-flight.
James Ward-Prowse (7.62) is the only outfield player at the club with a higher average league Sofascore rating, which illustrates how impressive the former Lyon man has been in the middle of the park.
Kudus could benefit from the 26-year-old's creativity as the Ghana international can potentially provide a significant goal threat for the Hammers if he can replicate his form for Ajax.
How many goals did Kudus score for Ajax?
The 23-year-old maestro scored 27 goals in 87 matches in all competitions during his time with the Dutch side and that included 18 goals in 42 games last term.
Kudus racked up 11 goals and three assists in 19 Eredivisie starts throughout the 2022/23 campaign. Meanwhile, no West Ham player produced more than six Premier League goals last season.
This suggests that the talented youngster, who was dubbed "fantastic" and a "superstar" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the potential to be an outstanding scoring option for Moyes in the final third if he can carry that form over to English football.
His first start against TSC in the Europa League last week showcased his threat at the top end of the pitch as the ex-Ajax star scored two goals in a 3-1 win for the Hammers.
The summer signing's outstanding full debut showed that he has what it takes to be a star within this West Ham team and it is now down to him to show that he can be consistent over the course of the season.
To do that, though, Moyes will need to offer him enough opportunities to find his rhythm and that is why the Scottish boss must unleash the Ghana international from the start this evening in order to get more minutes under his belt.
Playing him alongside a terrific creative threat like Paqueta could also provide the 5 foot 9 dynamo with the chances that he needs to find the back of the net against Lincoln.