When will Michail Antonio play for West Ham again? Graham Potter shares update on injured striker
Michail Antonio won’t be returning to the pitch anytime soon.
That is the message from West Ham manager Graham Potter after Antonio was presented on the pitch at the London Stadium on Monday, March 10, ahead of the Hammers’ 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.
The 34-year-old striker was rushed to hospital on December 7 last year after crashing his car into a tree. Antonio, who joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest in 2015, is the club’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, finding the back of the net 68 times in the past 10 years.
He spent almost a month in hospital before being discharged, but it was assumed by most that his season was basically over. West Ham were left looking for a replacement striker in the January transfer window, with Niclas Fullkrug sidelined by a hamstring injury and no faith being placed in Danny Ings. Evan Ferguson was eventually brought in on loan from Brighton, and will return to the Amex at the end of the season.
When asked about Antonio’s recovery - and whether he could return before the end of the season - Potter said: “I think it’s too early to say.
“I wouldn’t like to put that deadline up and put pressure on him. It’s great that he’s here, it’s great that he’s making the progress he is and we need to carry on supporting him.
“It’s day-by-day, week-by-week and then we’ll see.”
In the meantime, Ferguson has made four appearances for the Hammers, but with all of them being as a substitute, he is yet to start a game for the club.
Potter added: “We’re happy with him - he’s where we expected him to be because he is a young player who’s had time out with injuries, he was here to help us in the squad and that’s what he’s done.
“He had a good impact against Brentford and then the team played really well against Arsenal so he didn’t get many minutes there, came on against Leicester and he’s building himself up.”