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West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (17:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
- Nuno has no serious injuries in his squad, but emphasised there are "always things to assess" and "always knocks".
- On Lucas Paqueta, who is nearing a move to Flamengo: "It's not official yet but we as a club have allowed him to travel to do his medical. We found a solution where everyone was aware and we came to a good conclusion. Lucas was clear that he wanted to return home and we expect a medical and things to be official."
- How does he feel about Paqueta's departure? "For me Lucas is a special player and special person. Things could have been different at the club. Many things happened to come to this end. The circumstances is what he is. He wanted to return to Brazil. We will him all the very best."
- On life without the Brazilian: "You cannot replace Lucas, because he is unique, with special qualities. You cannot find many players like Lucas in the market. We have to move forward. We have played without him in the last three matches."
- Nuno said the club are working on deals before Monday's deadline: "We still have days to go, and the club is working very hard. There are negotiations that are ongoing. We expect things to happen, and it's always been about rebalancing the squad and making the squad more competitive by adding options than can make sure we can keep fighting."
- On new signing Adama Traore: "I know him very well. I've worked with him for many years, and I know him – that's why I said he's unique. There aren't many players with his ability in one-v-ones, his pace and he has great threat. He has good energy not only on the pitch but in the dressing room and in the training ground. He's a special person to have around."
- Nuno added that he has not decided whether Traore will be involved against Chelsea but he is "physically OK and could become an option".
- On Crysensio Summerville's recent form: "What's happening is that the players are starting to know themselves better, and the connections are starting to appear. Cry is giving us now what I think he should more times – goals, assists, threat, he defends a lot. He is doing well, but we'll keep insisting on more, because he can give more."
- On the challenge posed by the Blues: "I saw the [Napoli] game last night. Chelsea have a fantastic squad, and they are playing very good. They have so many options and there are so many things Liam [Rosenior] can take advantage of. "
Follow all of Thursday’s Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
Listen to full live commentary of Chelsea v West Ham from on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 17:30 on Saturday
