Earlier this week, we covered reports from Brazil which said West Ham United star Lucas Paquetá will soon be back with the national team.
The midfielder had been out of the squad due to gambling investigations, and with nothing found so far, new manager Dorival Junior would call him up.
Now Globo Esporte shares a fresh and complete story about this situation, and there’s good news for the West Ham player.
The outlet claims that Dorival had dinner with Paquetá in London this week. The coach has the CBF’s backing to take any decision regarding the 26-year-old, and wanted to speak to him in person about it.
Since there’s no proof the midfielder did anything wrong, he’s now expected to return to the national team for the squad which will play England and Spain in a couple of friendlies next month.
While in London, Dorival Junior was also interviewed by TNT Sports. In quotes brought by Globo Esporte, he explained that West Ham’s decision not to punish the player is the main reason why Brazil feel no need to keep him away for now.
“Even the club itself hasn’t penalised him, as we have. We’ve given the verdict on something that didn’t happen and at every moment he ends up showing his suitability and the legality of the situation. To everything that has been questioned, he presents the necessary proof that it is not as they put it. There is no reason to penalise him in this way.
“He’s being investigated perhaps for a situation that he might not even have been close to or taken part in. It’s a situation that requires caution, but we have to realise that he’s a very important player for our team.”
