West Ham Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo has said Lucas Paqueta is ‘suffering’ as the Hammers prepare to face Man Utd away in the Premier League.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, Santo explained some of the reasons behind Paqueta’s behaviour and that they will resolve the issue behind close doors.
The Brazilian midfielder was sent off in the game against Liverpool for arguing with the referee, a match which the Hammers lost 2-0.
Santo said: “Lucus spoke to not only me but all the teammates. First of all, he apologised. He is aware of his mistake. But we as a club first all protect our own. And we solved the things among ourselves. And it is clear that everybody in life can make mistakes.”
“Sometimes on the football pitch you cannot control your emotions. At the same time everybody deserves a chance. And this is the case. We move forward. Lucus is going to be out of the game against Man United.”
“He is not ok. He is suffering. He is disappointed. He is sad. But he realised the mistake that he made. And he is willing to move forward. Sometimes people are not aware of the problems football players have. But Lucus will overcome this situation.”
Santo also said the game against Man Utd will be difficult and believes the Red Devils are getting back to their usual ways.
He said: “I think they are a good team. As you saw from the game against Crystal Palace. They have good players, and they really compete well.”
Santo also doe’s not think the defeat against Liverpool will not damage any momentum. Prior to the defeat against Liverpool, West Ham were unbeaten in three winning two of them.
He said:“Each game is a new start. It’s a new development. It was a tough game against Liverpool. We managed to compete well. We had good spells during the match. But we competed to the last minute.”
Team news wise, the Hammers will have a fully fit squad with no new injuries reported.
West Ham did the Premier League double over Manchester United last season, last winning three in a row against the Red Devils between December 2006 and December 2007.