Graham Potter needs a response from his side against Arsenal but will be without a key first team star.

West Ham have confirmed a fresh injury worry this week with influential midfielder Lucas Paqueta sustaining an ankle injury in training this week ahead of Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Leicester City before the end of February.

The Brazil international had endured a hit-and-miss start to the campaign under Julen Lopetegui but has been a key star for Graham Potter since the change in management. The former Chelsea boss has been forthcoming in his praise of the player, who has been deployed in several positions for the Hammers.

West Ham make the short trip to Arsenal this weekend before hosting the Foxes next week. Potter is looking for a response following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Brentford.

Will Lucas Paqueta play against Arsenal and Leicester City?

However, West Ham will have to make do without Paqueta against Arsenal. Potter confirmed that the player would not make the squad this weekend and would ‘probably’ be absent against Leicester City too.

In quotes shared by the official club website, Potter said: “It was a training incident for Lucas Paquetá, just an innocuous one. He went over on his ankle and had a little bit of a collision with Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

“He’s rolled his ankle and will be missing for the game on Saturday, and probably Leicester as well. We’ll see how it is, but it’s swollen up a bit. We’ll take it day by day, but I imagine it’ll be a week or two he’ll be away.

“Apart from that, team news is pretty much as we were. Vladi still had a little bit of a feeling [in his hamstring] so the game will come too soon for him at the weekend. He has an outside chance for Leicester. Crysencio] Summerville is still making progress but still for a timeline, you’re looking the other side of the international break for him.”

West Ham midfielder subject of transfer talk

That news comes in a week that has seen Paqueta linked with an exit from the London Stadium with his former Brazilian side Flamengo supposedly interested. The midfielder is thought to be a former target for Manchester City too.

Speaking earlier this month about his relationship with Potter, Paqueta told the club media channel: "I think that was the start of me getting back to my old self on the pitch. So, I think that confidence, between him making things very clear to me, what I can do, what I should do, has given me a lot of confidence to do my best.

"We've really enjoyed working under the new coaching staff. All the ideas he's put forward are very clear, very organised, I think it's simple for us to understand. Of course, we have a lot of work to do, it's only been a few weeks of training. We've had a very good response and I hope that we understand each other more and more and can put into practice what he's been asking of us."

In other news, one West Ham loanee may need more time to return from his latest injury as his side look to avoid a Championship relegation scrap.