West Ham have confirmed manager Avram Grant will miss this Saturday’s trip to Stoke.
Grant, along with defender Tal Ben Haim, will not travel to the Britannia Stadium in order to observe the Jewish hold day of Yom Kippur.
A club statement read: “Out of respect for the traditions, heritage and religious obligations of the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Avram Grant will not be in the dugout at Stoke City.
“Dating back thousands of years, Yom Kippur – or Day of Atonement – is the most significant day of the year. It is a strict day of fasting and abstaining that forbids all followers to work.
“West Ham United fully respect and understand the situation. It is very unusual for the day to clash with the fixture list.
“The manager will pick and prepare the side as usual and fully ensure that all are ready for the match this weekend.
“Assistant manager Zelijko Petrovic, senior coach Paul Groves and first-team coach Kevin Keen will all be on the bench at the Britannia Stadium.”