West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo confirms key absence amid team news update and 'physical' Sunderland verdict
Sunderland face West Ham in the Premier League this weekend
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that his side are set to be without key playmaker Lucas Paqueta for their clash with Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.
The Brazilian is being heavily linked with an exit from the London Stadium this month, with a potential return to boyhood club Flamengo on the cards. Last weekend, Paqueta was omitted from the Hammers’ matchday squad for their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, and in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, his head coach stated that he will not feature this time out either.
Addressing the media, Nuno said: “The situation is the same. It’s the same as last week. We hope that the club and Lucas find a solution. You know my opinion about Lucas, it's already been said in this room.
“No, he’s not going to be in the squad. We have to deal day by day. We have to deal with the Lucas situation day by day. All the things that happened in the past has created so many, many problems individually. Now that it's finished, like I said, I hope Lucas and the club find a solution so we can move forward from that issue.”
Regarding other team news, Nuno added: “We always have knocks to assess. But we still have tomorrow to prepare for the game and then we decide the squad.”
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What did West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo say about Sunderland?
Elsewhere, Nuno was quick to praise Sunderland for the manner in which they have adapted to life in the Premier League. The Black Cats beat West Ham 3-0 at the Stadium of Light on the opening weekend of the campaign, and it would appear that their display that afternoon, coupled with the positive form they have shown across the months since, has left an impression on the Irons boss.
He said: “They have a very good team and they are working really, really well. I think since last season they've prepared well. The challenge of coming into the Premier League, they brought in good players and they are playing very, very good. It's a very tough opponent.
“I think all the teams in the Premier League are hard to beat. You cannot expect an easy game. But Sunderland has talent, has organisation, has energy. They are really strong on the duels, physical team. We know what we're going to face. That's why I say it will require much more from us.”
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