West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has confirmed that the squad will visit forward Michail Antonio over the weekend as he continues his recovery from a serious car accident. Antonio was involved in a road traffic collision in Essex last Saturday, which left him with a lower limb fracture requiring surgery. Despite the severity of the crash, the 34-year-old is in a stable condition and has been communicating with his teammates.
Speaking ahead of Monday's Premier League match against Bournemouth, Lopetegui described Antonio's survival as a 'miracle'. 'Looking at the car crash, it was one miracle it was not more serious, so we are happy for him,' he said. The manager added that the club is providing support to Antonio and his family during his rehabilitation, which is expected to take months.
Antonio spoke to his teammates via video call from his hospital bed before West Ham's 2-1 win over Wolves on Monday. During the match, players wore 'Antonio 9' warm-up shirts, which were later auctioned to raise funds for the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Lopetegui noted that the forward is recovering well and remains strong.
In other team news, Niclas Füllkrug made his return from injury earlier this month, scoring his first goal for the club in a defeat to Leicester. Lopetegui is optimistic about the Germany forward's fitness, stating he is 'ready' after ten days of normal training. However, left-back Emerson will be suspended for the Bournemouth match after accumulating five yellow cards this season.
