West Ham United get their season underway with a Europa League qualifying match in Slovenia on Thursday night, we look at future ramifications.
The UEFA Europa League trophy
The Hammers will make the trip to Slovenia for the first leg of their all-important Europa League third round qualifier against NK Domzale tonight after the tie was switched from East London to give the Olympic Stadium time to be finished.
On the pitch West Ham will need to be better prepared than they were at the same stage of the competition last year when they were sent crashing out by Romanian minnows FC Astra.
West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini with Dimitri Payet
Hammers must make do without star trio
And they will have to do it without their best players from last season as Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini are both out through injury while and star man Dimitri Payet is on extended holiday after he helped France to the final of Euro 2016.
West Ham have always said they will use the competition to blood a crop of exciting youngsters.
But co-owner David Gold and boss Slaven Bilic have also insisted they will be taking the competition seriously and want to try and go all the way.
To do that they will need to beat Domzale over two legs, then emerge victorious from a two-legged play-off game to make the Europa League proper.
The long road to Europa League glory begins
Europa League fixture changes explained
Should Bilic’s side made the group stages they will play the other three teams they are drawn with home and away over six matches.
And that will have a knock-on effect on the club’s Premier League fixtures, the ramifications of which will see three home games at the new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium moved as well as three away games.
The group stage match day one on September 15th will see the Hammers’ trip to West Bromwich Albion moved to Sunday September 18th or Monday the 19th.
Europa League match day two on September 29th will see the home game against newly-promoted Middlesbrough moved to either Sunday October 2nd or Monday October 3rd.
Match day three takes place on October 20th and that will see the home game against David Moyes’ Sunderland pushed back to Sunday October 23rd or Monday October 24th.
Stoke at home is another game that will be moved after match day four on November 3rd. That will instead take place on Sunday November 6th or Monday the 7th.
Challenging: West Ham’s manager Slaven Bilic
Bilic faces tough challenge
Bilic must somehow negotiate two tough looking away trips after the final two group stage matches.
Match day five on November 24th will see the trip to Old Trafford to face Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United switched to Sunday the 27th of November or Monday the 28th.
And the final group stage game on December 8th will push back West Ham’s trip to Anfield to Sunday December 11th or Monday December 12th.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
