Club insiders insist people shouldn’t read too much into Lucas Paqueta’s absence as a spectator at the London Stadium on Thursday night as West Ham played Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final.
As he was suspended the Brazilian Hammer had no contractual obligation to be there and instead watched the game at home with his sons while his wife was away at Disneyland Paris with her best friend and god daughter on a girls-only trip.
Insiders also insist social media rumours claiming that Paqueta travelled to Manchester on Wednesday to watch City in the Champions League as a non-story. The club insider claims City links to the Brazilian are exaggerated without any real substance with no formal approach as yet.
Alphonse Areola, Emerson and Southampton loanee Flynn Downes were all at the London Stadium on Thursday watching their teammates from West stand middle stand.
Kalvin Phillips was another absentee from the London Stadium on Thursday as he was out with an injury but decided against watching the game from the stands.
Kalvin was in the dugout