West Ham United prepares for a significant encounter as David Sullivan is expected to attend Saturday's Carabao Cup first-round tie against Portsmouth, despite being advised to avoid home matches at London Stadium.

At 77, Sullivan resigned from his role as co-chair of West Ham in June following serious allegations of sexually exploitative and predatory behavior from seven women, which he has categorically denied. A spokesperson for London Stadium announced that it had "recommended" Sullivan's absence from matches due to concerns about potential fan unrest.

Key details include:

• Sullivan retains a 38.8% stake in the club.
• The match against Portsmouth will mark the club's first since the allegations surfaced.
• Sullivan has been banned from contact with West Ham's women’s and youth teams for three years due to safeguarding concerns, a fact London Stadium was unaware of until the recent reports.

The investigation also revealed that a historical allegation about his conduct was raised with the Football Association in 2023, which Sullivan insists is false. His management of the club has drawn intense fan criticism, especially after West Ham’s relegation to the Championship last season.

Despite the turmoil off the pitch, the club has stabilized with key figures like manager Nuno Espirito Santo and captain Jarrod Bowen committing to West Ham. Meanwhile, Vanessa Gold, the daughter of Sullivan's late business partner, backed out of a deal to sell part of her stake to Daniel Kretinsky, opting instead to sell her entire 25.1% stake to Amanda Staveley.

Saturday’s match is expected to set an attendance record for an EFL Cup first-round tie, with 55,000 season tickets sold for the new campaign.