Paqueta has denied any wrongdoing after he was accused of getting himself booked on purpose on numerous occasions in the Premier League in order to influence the outcome of bets.

For now, the attacker is allowed to continue playing and has been doing so for the Hammers but should he be found guilty, the Brazilian could face serious punishment.

The Brazilian has contributed four goals and no assists in 25 appearances this term and given what he has shown over recent years, you would certainly expect there to be more assists on the board.

However, it has been reported that the 27-year-old’s mood has dropped at The London Stadium in recent times which may have contributed to less intensity on the pitch.

According to  Riath Al-Samarrai in the Daily Mail (23 March), a source revealed that the Brazil international’s mood dropped at West Ham when there was a collapse of growing interest, having previously been linked with Manchester City.

The ex-Lyon star was also threatened by the idea that his place in his international side could be at risk due to the trial and he has not travelled to be with the side over the latest international break.

The report further states that in the time since a move away from West Ham fell away, the player “sulked away” from a David Moyes training session before then refusing to go on a school visit as part of community work.

However, the Paqueta trial leaves the club in a sticky situation until they know what the outcome will be.

The attacker is under contract at The London Stadium until 2027 but if he is found guilty, the West Ham man will be set for a lengthy ban which could even go as far as being a lifetime ban.

Naturally, Potter will continue to use the players that he has available until he is not able to do so but the situation has seemingly, and understandably, been a big distraction for the player.

With the trial set to go on for some time, it’s unknown when the outcome of the proceedings will be shared.