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Manuel Pellegrini played a strong side in the FA Cup third round victory over Birmingham City earlier this month but he may well rest a few players this weekend.

West Ham face AFC Wimbledon in the fourth round of the cup competition on Saturday evening in west London in front of the BT Sport cameras and there could well be some youngsters who will want to impress.

It's likely to be a mix of mainly experience but maybe some youth as well when Pellegrini announces his starting eleven at 6.45pm at the Cherry Red Records stadium.

Mainly because the Hammers have a very important Premier League game just three days later against Wolves at Molineux and will be keen to see some of his senior stars get a rest and avoid picking up any potential injuries ahead of the game.

So who might be looking to stake a claim for a regular spot in Pellegrini's plans from the youngsters? Here are three that will be keen to impress.

Xande Silva

The youngster started against Birmingham and certainly didn't look out of place in senior football though he didn't get on the scoresheet at the London Stadium.

He's made two first team appearances since his move from Vitoria de Guimaraes in the summer but has been a regular in Pellegrini's matchday squads for the last six weeks.

(Image: Dean GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

Silva is in line to start once against in the competition this weekend and will be no doubt extremely keen to grab his first senior goal for the club. Who plays alongside him up front is likely to be a regualr first teamer but who that will be remains to be seen.

Nathan Holland

The winger has suffered with injury issues again this season and is only recently back from a knee problem that kept him sidelined for a couple of months.

Holland played in a behind-closed-dorors friendly against Gillingham on Tuesday and scored. He has been on the fringes of breaking through to the senior squad for 18 months but has picked up injuries at the worst possible time.

He is certainly in with a shout of making the bench against Wimbledon this weekend and should get some game time off the bench if the Hammers are heading towards a victory.

Conor Coventry

(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Like Silva, Coventry has been in a few of Pellegrini's matchday squads over the Christmas period when numbers were stretched in east London thanks to injuries.

The midfielder is rated by the manager and is another youngster who is knocking on the door of getting another first team shot, he came off the bench in the Carabao Cup win over Macclesfield Town earlier this season to make his senior debut.

Like Holland, Coventry may well have to settle for a spot on the bench this weekend and will hope to get some gametime from there.

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