When Gustavo Scarpa joined Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window, it seemed like he could be of great help in the Reds’ campaign in the Premier League.
The former Palmeiras midfielder had just been named the best player in the Brazilian League, and arrived at City Ground with the objective of helping in the fight against relegations.
It turns out, however, that Scarpa could show little for Nottingham Forest so far, and that has a lot to do with things that he and the club couldn’t control.
The midfielder had been adapting in his first couple of months at the club. Until early February, he had eight appearances, most of them as a starter, and kept showing signs that he could add something to Steve Cooper’s side.
Scarpa, however, disappeared from the team soon after. Not entering the pitch for four games in a row, it was soon revealed by the Brazilian media that he’d lost nearly £1m in a cryptocurrency scam, and was trying to deal with that. At that stage, he was even authorised to travel to Brazil to speak to local authorities.
The 29-year-old entered the pitch at the end of the defeat to Newcastle United on the 17th of December, but just for a couple of minutes. Then with the international break, it seemed like that would be time enough for him to bounce back and return to the team.
But that didn’t happen in the first game, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he was out of the squad. He was brought on in the second half against Leeds, but with few minutes on the pitch once again. And that was it for him this season so far.
Scarpa missed the last two games, against Aston Villa and Manchester United, with the club giving little details on his absence.
Sport Witness has been informed the player has a calf injury with no date set for his return.
His investment issue continues to draw big media attention in Brazil, but according to our sources, there’s nothing the player can do for now, with his lawyers taking care of everything. He’s trying to focus on this final stretch of the season with Nottingham Forest, but it’s not yet known whether he’ll be back in time to make a significant impact
The Reds now have seven games to escape from relegation, and should have little help from one of their most exciting new signings. Perhaps he’ll have better luck next season, in whatever competition they’ll be playing.
