West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is in a stable condition in hospital after a car accident, and talkSPORT presenter Jim White has confirmed that he's likely to be set for a spell of at least 12 months on the sidelines.
The Hammers confirmed at the weekend that Antonio had been involved in a road traffic incident and was sent to hospital for further assessments. A statement said that the club would issue an update in due course, and they did so on Sunday. West Ham added that Antonio had undergone surgery on a 'lower limb fracture' and will continue to be monitored in hospital over the next few days.
Speaking on talkSPORT, presenter White has confirmed that it's going to be at least 12 months before we see Antonio return to the football pitch after suffering 'serious damage' to one of his legs...
“In a car accident at the weekend, I’m told this morning that he remains in a stable condition in hospital and receiving the full support of the NHS and the West Ham medical staff. He has sustained serious damage to one of his legs and it’s thought that it’s going to be a long-haul recovery. It will be at least 12 months before it’s known whether or not he’ll play football again. I was told this morning that Michail is a fighter and is in a strong physical position and that may help him and be a bit of an advantage when it comes to his recovery."
The most important thing is that Antonio is in a stable condition after a worrying accident. Undoubtedly, Antonio will be desperate to play football again, but as long as he's fit and healthy, nothing else should matter. At the age of 34, the Jamaican international is reaching the latter stages of his career, so it will be interesting to see whether Antonio can make a full recovery when it comes to football and continue playing.