Friday 20 October 2017 19:09, UK
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll when they host Brighton on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Carroll is suspended after being sent off in the Hammers' 1-1 draw at Burnley last weekend, while Sakho misses out with a back injury.
After starting the season with three straight Premier League defeats, West Ham have lost just one of their last five.
"We have improved results," said Bilic. "We have players back from injury and the players who missed a big part of pre-season have their match-fitness. We improved and we are on the right path, so it's much better."
West Ham and Brighton sit on eight points after eight games, with the Seagulls also suffering a late setback last weekend when Wayne Rooney's 90th-minute penalty grabbed Everton a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium.
Newly-promoted Brighton have won two of their four home games but have picked up just one point on the road.
"It's going to be about away form that's going to be the most challenging," said manager Chris Hughton. "It's a game away from home, in a big stadium, against a very talented team."
Carroll and Sakho are out for West Ham along with James Collins, who is continuing to recover from an ankle injury.
Hernandez hopes to shake off a hamstring niggle while back-up goalkeeper Adrian has been ruled out through illness.
Brighton hope to have defender Shane Duffy available after he was forced off with a groin problem during the second half of last weekend's draw with Everton.
Midfielder Beram Kayal (broken leg) and striker Sam Baldock (calf), who have not played this season, made their comebacks in an U23 fixture on Monday but will not feature against the Hammers. Steve Sidwell (back) is also out, along with suspended striker Tomer Hemed, who completes a three-game ban following his violent conduct charge.
Brighton have only won one of their seven league visits to West Ham (D2 L4) - a 1-0 win in the Championship in November 2004.
In the top-flight, Brighton have won two of their four meetings with the Hammers (D1 L1), but this will be the first such meeting since March 1983.
West Ham have won both of their previous home Premier League games on a Friday by a 1-0 scoreline - against Coventry in December 1997 and Tottenham last season.
The Hammers have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven Premier League games at the London Stadium. However, they have shipped seven goals in the two matches in which they conceded.
Since becoming a permanent West Ham player in the summer of 2013, Andy Carroll has played just 5210 minutes of a possible 14440 in the Premier League for the Hammers (36 per cent).
Pascal Gross has been directly involved in 83 per cent of Brighton's six Premier League goals this season (2 goals, 3 assists); the highest ratio in the division.
West Ham to win this by a goal. I watched West Ham the other week against Swansea, they fell over the line in the last minute. I look at Brighton, they play a certain way and will try hard not to be beaten, and will probably settle for a draw.
I saw Brighton at Watford, who had 10 men after no time, and Brighton still played a certain way. The longer the game goes on at 0-0, the more Brighton become favourites, because of the crowd, who will get restless that they're not beating a newly-promoted side. But I see West Ham getting the goal before that.
Relegation-wise, Brighton are in the balance for me. They were unlucky against Everton, that would have been a massive three points.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (5/1 with Sky Bet)
Brighton head to London Stadium as 4/1 underdogs with Sky Bet, whereas the Hammers are 5/6 to turn their home advantage into three points. A draw on Friday night is priced at 12/5. Javier Hernandez is shortest at 4/1 in the first goal-scorer betting, with Glenn Murray the most likely Brighton player to break the deadlock at 8/1.
