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.

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.

Head Coach Julen Lopetegui says Niclas Füllkrug is making positive strides on his road to recovery from injury, ahead of Monday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle United.