By Conor Hogan

West Ham face QPR in the FA Cup third round at London Stadium this afternoon.

The Hammers are enduring a traumatic Premier League campaign, and amid the relegation crisis Nuno Espírito Santo finds himself in, the FA Cup is probably the last thing on his mind.

West Ham sit seven points from safety, and while it is refreshing to see the Irons draw a Football League side in their opening FA Cup fixture, the uncomfortable reality is that a meeting with QPR in the Championship next season now feels entirely plausible.

That raises an important question: how will Nuno approach Sunday’s game?

Will he treat it as a dead rubber — an opportunity to give minutes to youngsters and fringe players — or will he view the cup as a rare chance for this deeply troubled West Ham side to experience some form of success?

Given the Hammers’ dire league position, any cup run feels almost trivial. Premier League survival must take priority over everything else. 

But Sunday still presents an opportunity to manage the squad intelligently. Rotation seems likely. Expect the likes of Guido Rodríguez, Igor Julio and Mads Hermansen to feature against the Championship side, allowing key players a breather while keeping the wider squad match-fit.

That said, Nuno would be wise to start a handful of regulars to give West Ham the best possible chance of winning. The game could be used as a confidence-builder for players such as Soungoutou Magassa and Crysencio Summerville, both of whom are among a wealth of players desperately in need of a confidence boost.

A victory over Julien Stéphan’s QPR could provide a much-needed morale boost. It would offer a brief escape from the relentless pressure of the league and give supporters something to cheer — even if it comes against second-tier opposition.

Conversely, a defeat would deepen the gloom. Relegation already feels increasingly inevitable, but failing to beat a Championship side before even dropping into the Football League would be a worrying sign of what lies ahead.

Kick-off at London Stadium is at 2:30pm on Sunday.