**Paqueta’s enquiry and the impact upon West Ham’s dressing room morale**
Three weeks seems an incredible amount of time put aside by the FA for [Lucas Paquetá’s](https://www.claretandhugh.info/paqueta-faces-enormous-punishment-if-found-guilty-by-fa/) spot-fixing hearing. The three-man inquiry will start ‘[this month’](https://www.claretandhugh.info/paqueta-faces-enormous-punishment-if-found-guilty-by-fa/) as we confirmed last night from news first broken on Sky Sports: Paquetá faces a life time ban from football if he is found guilty.
The Brazilian Hammer has been facing these allegations for well over a year and his West Ham form has seen both extremes.
Quite how this will affect the West Ham dressing room is difficult to gauge. Potter’s predecessor, Julen Lopetegui, was on record as ‘declining to discuss’ the case with his midfielder: I suspect Graham Potter, as with all other areas of his coaching, has a more joined-up strategy in place to deal with the fall-out from the hearing. His work to maintain the positive dressing room spirit that’s grown since his arrival will be crucial for the rest of West Ham’s season.
The international break runs from March 17th – 25th so the hearing is most likely to impact Paquetá’s ability to perform for his country. If he is fit, Paquetá could be in line for an appearance at London Stadium against Newcastle on Monday night with thousands of fans worrying about ‘the unthinkable’. Dark days indeed.
_Important to stress that Lucas Paquetá strongly denies all of the allegations and has always maintained that he will clear his name at the hearing._