Lucas Paqueta availability update ahead of Leicester v West Ham United
West Ham will have Lucas Paqueta available to face Leicester City on Wednesday after he wasn’t summoned to a Brazilian parliament inquiry, Dom Smith has reported.
The Evening Standard journalist posted on X (2 December) that Paqueta will not be summoned to the Brazilian parliament, either in person or via video link, to give evidence in their sports betting inquiry.
Paqueta is facing a potentially lengthy FA ban for four yellow cards he picked up last season, and had already been summoned to appear at a previous hearing on sports betting in his home country [GE Globo, 10 October].
Lucas Paqueta update gives West Ham full complement v Leicester
After watching his first-half performance against Arsenal last time out, many a Hammers fan will be wondering whether Paqueta being available to face Leicester is indeed a boost.
However, Julen Lopetegui will likely see the option of selecting the Brazilian – still capable of producing world-class moments on his day – as a positive as his side looks to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat.
Mohammed Kudus’ return from a five-match ban will also be welcome for the Irons boss, whose credit in the bank after a 2-0 win at Newcastle evaporated inside the opening half-hour against Arsenal.
The Hammers aren’t likely to learn the outcome of Paqueta’s FA betting charges until well into 2025 [Sun on Sunday, 6 October], and for the time being, Lopetegui will be keen to get every ounce of quality out of the Brazilian.
Paqueta’s future in claret and blue – and potentially as a professional footballer full stop – remains up in the air, but with Lopetegui’s full focus being on Tuesday, he’ll be glad to have his number 10 in tow.
In other West Ham news, one of Lopetegui’s biggest underachievers this season has been nominated for a prestigious FIFA award.
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