The West Ham United ace went off injured against Arsenal on Saturday.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini addressed the media today ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup clash with AFC Wimbledon tomorrow, and explained how Michail Antonio has suffered an injury setback following his return to the team against Arsenal at the weekend, as quoted by the club’s official website.
The 28-year-old winger played during the Hammers’ opening day 4-0 loss to Liverpool – his first competitive game since undergoing surgery on a troublesome hamstring way back in April, before sitting out his side’s home defeat to Bournemouth.
He then started Saturday’s game at Arsenal, but was substituted off after just 63 minutes of the contest.
And Pellegrini confirmed that Antonio has suffered an injury setback, although in what is perhaps encouraging news, it has nothing to do with his hamstring, as quoted by the club’s official website:
“Michail played the first game and he didn’t play the second because he had played the full 90 minutes and it was his first game after six months on from his surgery, so he couldn’t continue playing every game. We rested him and that way he could work better during the week and could be ready to play this game. Unfortunately for him, he has a slight problem in his ankle and that is why he did not complete the game, but he played very well.”
Antonio will surely now be nurtured back to full fitness, considering the previous problems he has had with injuries, and with an international break not too far away, he shouldn’t miss too much action for West Ham.
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