Lee Bowyer had two spells at West Ham United as a player, so he is very much looking forward to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup Second Round trip to the London Stadium.
The Addicks’ boss said he will make changes for the game but insisted he will be sending his side out to win.
Supporters in the UK and Ireland can watch Tuesday's game on a new service created for the competition. Click here for more information.
Bowyer said: “I’m excited. It’s the first time I’ve been to that stadium as a manager. Obviously West Ham has a place in my heart, so I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s an opportunity to go and play against a Premier League side. I won’t have to say much [to my players], apart from ‘enjoy it, learn and express yourselves’. We’re going to go there and take the game to them. Whatever game I turn up, with whatever squad, I try and win the game. There will be a good side out there tomorrow that try and do the right things as much as they possibly can. We just have to be patient at times and create chances.”
The Addicks are coming off a 2-0 win at Crewe Alexandra in Saturday’s League One opener and Bowyer said while the turnaround is tight, his side will be ready.
“Today we were in and it was short and sweet,” he explained. “We just did a little bit of shape work and those that weren’t involved at the weekend did some small-sided games just to keep them topped up. The most important thing is that we go there and we try and win the game playing football.
“The cup is important to a certain extent because there are players that need minutes. Chuks Aneke, he will play a good part tomorrow. He was injured pre-season, so he’s only come on two times, 30 minutes and 20 minutes, so he needs to get some minutes into him.”
Supporters in the UK and Ireland can watch Tuesday's game on a new service created for the competition. Click here for more information.