Lucas Paqueta ‘very close’ to West Ham United injury return – Injury expert
Lucas Paqueta is getting extremely close to returning to the fold for West Ham United ahead of their Europa Conference League clash, according to Ben Dinnery.
The Brazilian has missed the past four games in all competitions with a shoulder injury that had put his World Cup hopes in question with finalised squads to be named in the coming days.
But Dinnery, an injury expert, believes that the Brazilian international could play a part in Thursday’s (3 November) game away at FCSB of Romania.
West Ham have already qualified top of the group in the Conference League, though, so David Moyes may choose to save Paqueta for the Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday (6 November).
“Everything that we know, up until this point, indicates that he should be very close for Thursday. If not, then we’re maybe looking at Sunday,” Dinnery said to Give Me Sport.
Crucial
He may have only signed for the club late on in the summer transfer window but Paqueta is already a player that Moyes and West Ham can’t afford to lose for too long.
His connection with fellow cummer recruit Gianluca Scamacca has already got the best out of both at times and the Italian striker always seems less effective without the Brazilian in the team.
The 25-year-old also possesses something that arguably no other Irons player does which is the ability to win a game in the blink of an eye with just one moment of genius.
That’s not to say that the rest of the squad are bad players in any way shape or form but Paqueta has that spark inside him that can just do things nobody else can at the London Stadium.
Moyes needs that back as soon as possible but with top spot secured in Europe, perhaps he can be rested against FCSB and be fully ready to take on the Eagles.