Brazil star Lucas Paqueta suffers World Cup blow as West Ham United star unable to train fully
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta could miss the next World Cup game for Brazil, as reported by Reuters.
The Brazil midfielder was unable to train fully, and he could miss the World Cup Group G game against Switzerland on Monday (28 November).
The five-time World champions are set to miss their talisman Neymar and reliable full-back Danilo, and losing Paqueta will be a big blow for Tite.
Fingers crossed
Let’s hope that Paqueta hasn’t picked up a serious injury and that he can return quickly.
The 25-year-old midfielder has already picked up a freakish injury for the Hammers prior to the World Cup, and another serious injury could be a fatal blow.
The Hammers confirmed on 24 November that Kurt Zouma has undergone knee surgery and he could be out a while.
If Paqueta picks up a serious injury, it will only disrupt Tite’s plans for the World Cup, but West Ham could be forced to make serious transfer plans in January as well.
As far as Brazil is concerned, it will be interesting to see how Tite fills the void of Neymar and Danilo, both are set to miss the remaining games of the group stages.
Real Madrid talent Rodrigo could be the first option if Brazil opts for the same system with four up-front alongside Vinicius, Richarlison, and Raphinha.
Paqueta could be pushed forward into the playmaking role if he recovers ahead of the game. In that case, Fred and Casemiro could forge a midfield partnership.
Paqueta started the opening game for Brazil against Serbia and did really well. He made four tackles and registered 41 passes, as per Who scored.
He is a key player for Tite (and David Moyes of course) and Brazil will hope that his injury is not serious.