A calf injury might keep West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta out for months

A calf injury might keep Lucas Paqueta, a midfielder for West Ham, out for “at least two months.”

The injury that the Brazilian first sustained against Arsenal at the end of December caused his discomfort during Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Bristol City. He was only in the game for 14 minutes against Bristol City and missed the goalless draw with Brighton on January 2.

To find out the extent of the injury, Paqueta is scheduled to see a specialist. For manager David Moyes, Paqueta’s loss would be devastating because he was a key player in West Ham’s 2023 comeback.

In the June Europa Conference League final triumph over Fiorentina, it was Paqueta’s assist that set up Jarrod Bowen’s game-winning goal, securing West Ham’s first trophy in forty-three years.

Bowen, meanwhile, will also miss a few games after needing assistance leaving the field on Sunday due to an ankle injury. Although the extent of the damage is not as great as first thought, Bowen is not anticipated to be fit for the Premier League trip to Sheffield United the following weekend and will likely miss the rematch match against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on January 16.

Due to injuries, West Ham now lacks Mohammed Kudus, another offensive option, since he is with the Ghana national team at the African Cup of Nations. Michail Antonio has also had a setback in his recuperation from a knee injury he sustained while playing for his country in November.

This suggests that West Ham’s bosses would likely strive to add more players to Moyes’ roster rather than approve Danny Ings’ possible loan out of the London Stadium.