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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Sarah Clapson

Gustavo Scarpa's Nottingham Forest absence explained ahead of Newcastle United clash

Nottingham Forest midfielder Gustavo Scarpa has been back in Brazil dealing with personal matters.

The 29-year-old returned to his homeland earlier this week. The club are understood to have given him permission to make the trip.

According to reports in Brazil, Scarpa made the journey to try to solve issues which have arisen after investing in a cryptocurrency venture. He is said to have lost about £1 million.

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The January signing posted a message on Instagram saying he was heading "back to" England. In a translated post, he also wrote: “Thank you for the messages of support. God bless you all.

“May this situation serve as an example to all who find themselves in a similar situation. Never stray from the truth and do everything possible for justice to be done. Always.”

Scarpa has made eight appearances for the Reds since joining as a free agent, having left Palmeiras. The last time he got out on the pitch was during the 2-0 defeat at Fulham last month.

Against Manchester City and West Ham United, he was an unused substitute. However, he was not part of the match squad at all against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Last week, head coach Steve Cooper said of Scarpa and fellow countryman Danilo, who has also been struggling for game time: “They haven’t done anything wrong, it’s important to say that. Scarpa has good experience and has played a lot of games in his career, but there’s still a transition into English football. I’ve talked about that before with Remo (Freuler), how he has said English football is different.

“We’re happy with both of them. Sometimes you just pick certain players for certain situations. That’s all it was.

“We’re happy with how they are adapting. I don’t want to single just the Brazilians out, but they are really good guys. They love training and love football. They’re happy-go-lucky but are committed and are good teamship players. We need that.

“That’s not to say nobody else is and they’re the best at it - we have a lot of it in the group. But you take them as you find them, and they are really pleasant guys to be around.

“You can see them interacting and enjoying themselves. Hopefully we can give them good exposure.

“Renan (Lodi)’s process is an interesting one, with regards to Danilo and Gustavo. He took a little bit of time to settle, then all of a sudden he’s doing well. You’ve got to help them through that process.

“Some guys can come in and just hit the ground running - I’m not saying nobody hasn’t - other times it can take a little more time and you have to go on a little journey with the guys. That’s all it is. We’re happy with them.”

Should Scarpa be getting more game time for Forest? Have your say in the comments below

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