Michail Antonio has been warned that it could be “12 months before he can walk” unaided after his horror car crash, and he may never play again.
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Hammers forward had to be cut from wreckageUnderwent surgery on lower-leg fractureFacing a long record to recoveryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The West Ham forward was lucky to escape with his life after seeing his Ferrari collide with a tree in Essex. It took rescue workers 45 minutes to free him from the wreckage, before the 34-year-old was airlifted to hospital and underwent surgery on a lower-leg fracture.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT SPORTS MEDICINE SPECIALIST SAID
Antonio is now facing a long road to recovery, with respected sports medicine specialist Dr Paul Wright telling : “We suspect that he has internal fixation and it is a compound fracture. He has to be on antibiotics before, during, and after surgery. It will take some time before he gets going again. You’re looking at a rehabilitation for about nine to 12 months before he can even walk without crutches.
“The legs have the worst blood supply in the entire body. That means it will take longer to heal than if his arms were cut. Whenever you get below the knees, that blood supply is poor, and healing becomes delayed.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Given the severity of his injuries, Wright believes that Jamaica international Antonio may be forced to hang up his boots and explore a different career in coaching. He added: “His forte was speed, and if you see how he plays for the Reggae Boyz, it’s his speed that we utilise. Therefore, coming from fractures like that at his age, I think he might just get a licence to be a coach and help other people.”
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MICHAIL ANTONIO?
Antonio’s contract with West Ham is due to expire in the summer of 2025. They will reportedly continue to pay his £90,000-a-week salary until that point – as he works on his rehabilitation – while there have been suggestions that an extension may be offered if he is able to return to the football field.
