West Ham United have been dealt a massive injury blow ahead of this weekend’s crunch Premier League showdown against Arsenal.
According to the Standard, Lucas Paqueta suffered a fresh ankle injury during a training session at the club’s Rush Green facility earlier today.
The severity of Paqueta’s injury is still uncertain, but he looked devastated as he made his way off the training ground.
The setback comes at an unfortunate time for Paqueta and West Ham.
The 26-year-old had only just returned to action after missing the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea defeat due to a groin strain.
Paqueta was starting to get back to his brilliant best under new manager Graham Potter, establishing himself as a vital cog in the middle of the park.
He played the full 90 minutes in West Ham’s 1-0 defeat against Brentford on Saturday, which was also the first time he started a game alongside Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus since Potter’s arrival.
However, the Hammers could now be without one of their key creative forces once again.
West Ham and Potter can’t catch a break. The Hammers boss has faced a growing list of injury concerns since taking over last month.
Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Crysencio Summerville have all been sidelined, while Bowen has only just recovered from a fractured foot.
Losing Paqueta for any length of time would be another blow to the squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Carlos Soler is most likely to deputise if Paqueta’s ankle injury proves to be serious.
The Brazilian international has scored five goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this season.
Potter is expected to provide an update on Paqueta’s condition when he addresses the media on Thursday.
