West Ham ‘concerned about Lucas Paqueta’ after yellow card left him in tears

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta became visibly upset after being shown a yellow card in the Hammers’ 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham on Sunday and concerns over the Brazilian have now emerged

West Ham are said to be worried about Lucas Paqueta and the toll that the ongoing spot-fixing betting case is currently having on the attacking midfielder after he burst into tears during their recent fixture with Tottenham.

Paqueta, 27, became emotional when he was shown a yellow card by Michael Oliver in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Spurs. He is currently being investigated by the Football Association for alleged breaches of betting rules relating to yellow cards the player received.

The hearing started in March and is based around four Premier League matches between November 2022 and August 2023. The Telegraph has now reported that the hearing has resumed with a conclusion expected some time next week. A verdict is not expected for a further four to five weeks, however.

The report goes on to outline that there are concerns from some within West Ham over Paqueta’s state of mind, with senior figures at the club questioning whether the former Lyon man should be rested for the final three fixtures of the season.

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It’s said that several of Paqueta’s team-mates were alarmed to see his reaction to being shown a yellow card, with Jarrod Bowen consoling him. He was substituted five minutes later by Graham Potter after the Hammers boss was made aware of the situation.

Paqueta withdrew from the Brazil squad for last month’s World Cup qualifying fixtures against Argentina and Colombia to participate in the hearing into the allegations but has remained available for selection for all of West Ham’s games this season. It’s been reported that the FA have recommended a lifetime ban if Paqueta is found guilty, though he has stressed his innocence throughout the process.

Potter was asked about Paqueta following the incident at the weekend in his post-match press conference and said: “I think he’s just a player that’s trying his absolute best and wants the situation to be better and probably got a bit frustrated with the action.

“And then you see a human being, not perfect but I love Lucas, he’s given everything and in difficult circumstances he’s in as well. He’s given everything and he’s absolutely fine now.”

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