West Ham attacker Michail Antonio is set to undergo scans today (Thursday, 29 August) to determine the extent of the injury blow picked up against Newport County, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim on their website that the 29-year-old will be examined and the prognosis delivered after going down with what appeared to be a hamstring problem against the League Two side less than 10 minutes into their League Cup clash.
It is stated that the Hammers’ medical staff are hopeful for some good news and that it is expected he will be ruled out for as many as six weeks, leaving him facing a return some time in mid-October.
Antonio has been a mainstay in the first-team squad under Manuel Pellegrini this season, playing in all four games across both the Premier League and the League Cup.
Opinion
Everyone of a West Ham persuasion will have their fingers crossed for some good news for Antonio on Thursday. He might not be the most fashionable of players but what he is is a tremendously hard worker with bags of energy, power and pace. He might not contribute a goal or an assist every game but he can still strike fear into the hearts of defenders and cause them all sorts of problems when he gets into the final third of the pitch. He is especially effective coming off the bench, using his physical attributes to full effect against tired and leggy opposition, which is why Pellegrini has opted to start him just once in the league this season. Not having him as part of the Hammers’ armoury for the next couple of weeks will be a bitter pill for the Chilean manager to swallow, although he does have more than enough attacking options to get by for now.
