West Ham vs Sunderland team news: Emmanuel Emenike starts ahead of Andy Carroll for Hammers

Team news from Upton Park as the Hammers entertain Sunderland in the early kick-off

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West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has handed a start to Emmanuel Emenike against Sunderland after his brace at Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup.

The 28-year-old Nigerian leads the line for the Hammers as Sam Allardyce’s relegation battlers travel to Upton Park for the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon.

Bilic also backs Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet to have the firepower to defeat the Black Cats and continue their bid to qualify for European football next season.

Sunderland boss Allardyce, meanwhile, names January signing Wahbi Khazri in his line-up while Jermaine Defoe and Dame N'Doye start up front in an attacking side.

Despite beating Manchester United a fortnight ago, the North East outfit are entrenched in the bottom three but could climb to 17th with a win in the capital this afternoon.

Duncan Watmore and Jeremain Lens remain sidelined for the visitors while Andy Carrol is on the bench for West Ham.

Today’s line-ups...

West Ham: Adrian, Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble (c), Kouyate, Antonio, Payet, Lanzini, Emenike.

Subs: Randolph, Henry, Oxford, Song, Obiang, Moses, Carroll.

Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone, O'Shea (c), van Aanholt, Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M'Vila, Khazri, N'Doye, Defoe.

Subs: Pickford, Jones, Rodwell, Kaboul, Toivonen, Larsson, Borin.