London’s east-west football map narrows on Friday as West Ham United welcome Queens Park Rangers in the ninth round of the EFL Championship, with the hosts able to move to the top of the table. For Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez, the fixture could also mark the end of a long spell away from competitive club action.
Álvarez has not featured for West Ham since the cup tie against Portsmouth on 8 August. He has missed the club’s last 10 match squads, but Nuno Espírito Santo has indicated that the Mexican could return to the selection for the meeting with QPR.
Quick facts
- West Ham face Queens Park Rangers in Championship matchday nine on Friday.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 13:00 Mexico City time.
- Disney+ Premium will carry the match via streaming in Mexico.
- West Ham begin second, two points behind leaders Swansea City.
- QPR are sixth and sit two points behind the Hammers.
- Edson Álvarez has not played for West Ham since 8 August.
A first appearance for Álvarez in nearly two months would be his first senior outing since the Portsmouth cup match. The 28-year-old is seeking to re-establish himself after the international break, as European-based Mexican players return to their clubs.
West Ham can temporarily take first place with a victory, as Swansea are not in action until Saturday. The London side arrive without a win in two matches, having exited the cup against Fulham before drawing with Millwall in their final game before the international pause.
QPR travel across the capital with promotion ambitions of their own. A win would bring the west London club closer to the automatic-promotion positions, although the Championship campaign remains in its early stages.
The visitors’ league position masks a more difficult recent run. Rangers have gone four games without victory, recording one defeat and three draws, and will look to turn that sequence around against opponents with the same immediate need for momentum.
