By Sam Stone

20th Oct, 2022 | 11:10am

David Moyes must make big West Ham United selection call after Lucas Paqueta injury

Lucas Paqueta has really started to find his feet in a West Ham shirt and has the potential to be a vital player for David Moyes moving forward.

However, it’s emerged the Brazilian has suffered a “serious” shoulder injury on Wednesday night (19 October) which has made him a doubt for the World Cup in Qatar. It’s a damaging blow for the playmaker, who will be distraught to be missing the chance to represent his country on the biggest stage.

The timescale for his injury is currently unknown, but the early signs don’t look good for the 25-year-old. Moyes now has to decide how he is going to replace their record signing.

There are obvious candidates off the bench, with Said Benrahma, Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals all candidates for Moyes to call upon.

Benrahma deserves an extended run in the side but is clearly not fancied by the Scot. Despite a superb goalscoring 2021/22 season, Moyes has never been keen on the Algerian and it’s hard to see how the 27-year-old could be a long-term replacement for Paqueta.

Lanzini is another player who has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium and probably won’t be considering the ideal cover for Paqueta. Depending on the extent of the Brazilian’s injury.

Benrahma has shown he is more than capable of being West Ham’s main man and with four games in ten days, the Algerian must grab the opportunity with both hands.

This is where West Ham’s busy summer window has to bare its fruit with the Hammers now having good strength in depth off the bench. The Algerian is averaging 31 minutes each game for West Ham this season which isn’t anywhere near enough for a player of his quality.

It’s time for Moyes to really trust the attacking midfielder with Paqueta set for a spell on the sidelines.