The Hammers go to Newcastle on Monday night. Lopetegui said, "We are ready for high demands. "In my opinion Newcastle are one of the most complex teams in the league. They have a lot of technical, physical and tactical quality. We have to be aware of that and be ready to compete, and that is what we are all working on.

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui says he is not engaging with external noise but instead is completely focused on getting the squad to improve. The Hammers are 14th in the Premier League, with 12 points from the Spaniard's first 11 games.

West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui is not about to lose any sleep over speculation his job is on the line. The Hammers head to Newcastle on Monday night with the spotlight very much on the future of the Spanish coach following an underwhelming start to the season.

Heavy defeats to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have cranked up the pressure on Lopetegui, who also saw his side crash out of the Carabao Cup 5-1 at the hands of Liverpool.

Lopetegui confirmed there is a "little problem with two players" before the trip to Newcastle but when pressed, refused to give names. He added that Niclas Fullkrug remains out but says that the German "is improving" as he continues to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.