Key Points
- Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo has made a single change to the West Ham United starting line-up for the EFL Championship encounter against Millwall at The Den.
- Kyle Walker-Peters replaces the injured Joël Veltman at right-back, marking the only alteration from the side that defeated Wrexham 6-0 on 11 September.
- Midfielder Soungoutou Magassa enters the matchday squad on the substitutes’ bench in place of the absent Veltman.
- The Hammers enter the fixture seeking a fifth consecutive league victory for the first time since 2006, as well as their first away win against Millwall since December 1988.
- Several summer additions and squad members—including Dinos Mavropanos, Maximilian Kilman, Morato, Arne Engels, and Taty Castellanos—are set to make their career debuts in the Dockers Derby.
- Striker Joël Piroe leads the frontline with a strong track record at The Den, having previously registered three goals in nine career appearances against the South London side.
West Ham United (East London Times) September 19, 2026 – West Ham United Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo has named his starting team for Saturday’s lunchtime EFL Championship fixture against Millwall at The Den, making just one change to the side that secured a six-goal victory in their previous league outing.
Right-back Kyle Walker-Peters comes into the starting line-up to replace Joël Veltman, who misses out due to injury. Otherwise, Nuno has opted for continuity, retaining ten of the eleven players who started the 6-0 home triumph over Wrexham on Friday 11 September.
The East London club arrives in SE16 on a run of four straight Championship wins. A victory on Saturday afternoon would mark their fifth consecutive league win, a feat West Ham United last achieved in 2006. Furthermore, the Irons are aiming to end a long-standing record at The Den, searching for their first away win in the Dockers Derby since December 1988, when Paul Ince scored the sole goal in a 1-0 First Division victory. The Hammers have failed to secure a win in five subsequent visits to Millwall’s home ground.
Who is featured in the West Ham United line-up?
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen retains his spot in goal, making his third career appearance against Millwall after previously featuring against the Lions twice during his tenure with Leicester City in the 2023/24 Championship campaign.
In defence, Walker-Peters slotting in at right-back brings prior experience at The Den, having helped Southampton capture a 1-0 away victory over Millwall in November 2023. The rest of the back four comprises centre-backs Dinos Mavropanos and Maximilian Kilman alongside left-back Morato, all three of whom are making their first career appearances against the South London outfit.
The midfield selection sees Belgian international Arne Engels line up alongside teenager Divine Mukasa. Engels faces Millwall for the first time, whereas Mukasa brings prior experience from earlier this year, having started for Leicester in a 1-1 Championship draw against Millwall at the King Power Stadium in April. Mukasa also delivered a standout performance against Millwall U18s in the FA Youth Cup fourth round in January 2025, recording one goal and two assists during his time with Manchester City’s academy.
Captain Jarrod Bowen leads the attacking unit. The England international has faced Millwall on five previous occasions during his spell with Hull City, recording an assist in a 2-2 draw at The Den in December 2018 and scoring in a 2-1 victory at the MKM Stadium in February 2019. Manor Solomon features on the wing, having played against Millwall three times during his loan stint at Leeds United in 2024/25, comprising two Championship matches and an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Elland Road.
In attack, Taty Castellanos makes his personal debut in the Dockers Derby, partnering striker Joël Piroe. Piroe boasts the most extensive record against Millwall among the current squad, having scored three goals in nine career appearances against the Lions. Crucially, all three of Piroe’s goals against Millwall were scored in Championship victories at The Den—a winning strike for Swansea City in April 2022 and a double during Leeds United’s 3-0 win in September 2023.
On the substitutes’ bench, the only adjustment from the Wrexham victory is the inclusion of Soungoutou Magassa, who takes the spot vacated by the injured Veltman.
How have both teams lined up for the fixture?
The confirmed team selections for both clubs at The Den are as follows:
Millwall: Marschall, Osei-Tutu, Sturge, Cooper (c), Taylor, Arconte, Neghli, Dykes, Metcalfe, Sykes, Mazou-Sacko.
Substitutes: Crocombe (GK), Servais, Baggott, Kelly, Lisbie, Batth, Cundle, Issoufou, Doughty.
West Ham United: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Morato, Engels, Mukasa, Bowen (c), Solomon, Taty, Piroe.
Substitutes: Herrick (GK), Scarles, Golambeckis, Magassa, Orford, Kanté, Ajala, Austbø, Pablo.
What is the historical background of this derby development?
The fixture between West Ham United and Millwall, historically dubbed the Dockers Derby, carries a rich rival heritage rooted in the industrial history of East and South East London. The rivalry originated from the competing dockworkers of the Thames, primarily between the ironworks of Thames Ironworks (who later became West Ham United) on the north side of the river and the shipbuilders and dockers of Millwall on the south side.
Over decades, the fixture became renowned for its intense, high-stakes atmosphere, though modern encounters have become far less frequent due to the clubs occupying different divisions in recent football history.
West Ham’s current pursuit of an away victory at The Den breaks a long stretch of historical frustration. Since Paul Ince’s winning header in December 1988, the Hammers have found results difficult to secure in SE16. The match holds added tactical weight as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side aims to build momentum for automatic promotion from the EFL Championship, following a high-scoring 6-0 performance against Wrexham.
What are the predictions for how this selection will affect both clubs and supporters?
Nuno Espírito Santo’s decision to maintain high tactical stability—making just one forced change—signals a strong commitment to keeping the team’s attacking momentum intact. For West Ham United supporters, the inclusion of experienced Championship performers like Joël Piroe and Kyle Walker-Peters offers reassurance in an atmosphere traditionally known for testing visiting teams.
If West Ham United secure a fifth consecutive league victory, it will consolidate their positioning at the upper end of the EFL Championship table and break a 38-year winless streak at The Den, reinforcing confidence among the fanbase regarding Nuno’s tactical vision.
Conversely, for Millwall and their home supporters, facing a high-scoring West Ham side presents an opportunity to disrupt their local rivals’ promotion momentum. A strong defensive display by Neil Harris’s side against West Ham’s attack could prove pivotal for Millwall’s own campaign structure in the Championship.
