West Ham play Brighton this afternoon and face a potential dilemma in the striker position.

The Hammers secured a vital point against Manchester United on Thursday night, a game where striker Callum Wilson played 87 minutes – his longest outing since joining the Irons in the summer. 

Although Wilson didn’t have much influence on the game, it was encouraging to see him stay on the pitch for as long as he did. Considering how injury-prone he has been throughout his career, the fact he remains fit for the Hammers is quite remarkable. 

However, the Hammers travel down to the south coast to face Fabian Hürzeler’s high-flying Seagulls just a few days after their trip to Old Trafford. Given the short turnaround time in games this weekend, Wilson’s fitness could pose a problem for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side. 

Despite scoring in games against Burnley and Bournemouth, the 33-year-old looked exhausted come the hour mark in these games. Thursday’s game was a testament to the fitness Wilson has built up recently, but to ask any player to play on a Thursday and a Sunday is quite the demand – for Wilson, it could be an impossibility.

The problem for Nuno and West Ham is that they don’t really have an effective alternative. Niclas Füllkrug was left out of Thursday’s squad and has lacked sharpness all season, Callum Marshall has shown promise but would be a huge risk to start up top, and starting talisman Jarrod Bowen in that role would leave the Hammers without an effective winger.

The other options include a returning Lucas Paqueta, who has proven completely ineffective in a “false nine” role this season – you could argue that the Brazilian shouldn’t even start the game at all – and Tomáš Souček, a midfielder who has been deployed as a striker on occasion this season. Admittedly, the big Czech is probably the best option out of an unfavourable selection. 

Considering how well midfielders Freddie Potts, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa have performed recently, deploying the trio again and placing Souček as a striker would make sense. It would give Wilson a shorter cameo to affect the game, and the Hammers may need a more proactive, offensive option off the bench if they fall behind at the Amex Stadium. 

Marshall is always another alternative off the bench, but given West Ham’s struggles at left-wing in the absence of Crysencio Summerville, his services may be of better use in that role, with Wilson leading the line. 

Kick off tomorrow is at 2pm it will interesting to see who leads the line.