Michail Antonio is back running again, under three months following his near-fatal car crash. The West Ham striker was hospitalised with a lower leg fracture on December 7 after his Ferrari swerved off the road and smashed into a tree in Essex.
The disaster left West Ham fans and employees fearing the worst when they saw images of the mangled vehicle, but Antonio’s recovery will delight the club. Following a 12-day recovery stint in Dubai, he’s impressively advanced in his recovery.
Hammers manager Graham Potter, ahead of the crucial Arsenal match, shared: “He’s going well, he’s been out in Dubai so I think it’s been good for him to get that work in.
“I think that’s a really good phase of the rehabilitation for him. As far as I know from all the reports from the medical guys, it’s moving in the right direction. It’s a case of not rushing that one but certainly it’s positive.”
He also gave an insight into the warmer training environment: “It’s just more about slowly getting back onto the pitch, more pitch-based stuff but in probably a slightly warmer environment than Rush Green in February.”
Post-surgery strides have seen Antonio jogging and hitting the gym, with sprinting, leaping, and ball skills tagged as the next rehab milestones. Despite the progress, Potter refrained from predicting a return date for the 34-year-old forward.
With his contract winding down at season’s end, the Irons do hold an ace with an option to extend his stay by another year.
Responding to queries about when Antonio will rejoin team training, Potter remarked: “I wouldn’t be thinking anything this side of the international break for sure. As I said, with the severity of the injury and the incident, the most important thing is that he takes the space and time that he needs with the medical people.”
He added optimistically: “Then Mick being Mick, as soon as he feels ready, he’s going to be ready.”
Despite Potter not having worked with Antonio yet, he was evidently struck by the player’s handling of the situation. The former Chelsea and Brighton manager reflected: “Everything was impressive, to be honest.
“But the fact that he just recognised the situation, the incident, the severity of it and was able to reflect on that in a human way, not in a footballer way, was particularly impressive.”
“Obviously, when you go through something like that and God forbid we never do, it gives you a sense of perspective that maybe you can think about. But it’s only until something like that happens that you really gain that perspective.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk