West Ham United forward Michail Antonio nearly averted death following a horrible vehicle incident in Essex last weekend, which has left him bedridden and unable to leave hospital for a period of weeks. West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has announced that the squad will pay a visit to Michail Antonio over the next day or two as the forward continues to heal from a “miracle” car crash.
Antonio was involved in a car accident in Essex last Saturday, and everyone was worried until it was confirmed that he was in stable condition at the hospital. The 34-year-old has since had surgery for a lower limb fracture, but he will still be in the hospital for several weeks to heal from other injuries.
Before the Irons’ 2-1 win over Wolves on Monday night, Antonio was able to communicate with his teammates via video conference from his hospital bed.
West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9’ shirts during warm-ups and before kick-off at the London Stadium, and the kit was signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Lopetegui understands that Antonio has a long road back to full fitness, but he believes the club’s support will aid him on his rehabilitation journey.
“We are going to visit him today or tomorrow,” Lopetegui stated at a press conference ahead of Monday night’s match against Bournemouth. “But most importantly, we are overjoyed because he is recuperating so well. We are really close to him and his family, and we wish him the best in the coming days.
“The nicest news regarding Michail Antonio was that he was able to speak with us prior to the (Wolves) match – (since) looking at the automobile accident, it was a miracle (he was okay), so we are thrilled for him. He is undoubtedly powerful now, and he will recuperate in the coming months to be a man first and then a footballer.
Emerson, a West Ham defender, will be suspended for the trip to Bournemouth after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season during the win over Wolves. Germany forward Niclas Fullkrug made a welcome return earlier this month following his calf and Achilles injuries with a late goal when coming off the bench in the 3-1 defeat against Leicester. “He was out for a long time, but he has recovered and is improving day by day,” the West Ham manager added. “It is fantastic news for us that he has returned. He has been functioning normally for the past ten days and is ready.”
On Friday afternoon, West Ham revealed the death of under-15s academy goalkeeper Oscar Fairs, after A battle against cancer
Leave a Reply