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Antonio in last chance saloon at West Ham after snub

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Image for Antonio in last chance saloon at West Ham after snub

OPINION

Aside from injury, suspension or a cup competition, it is a rarity that a player goes from starting one game to being completely snubbed from the first team squad for the next outing – but that is the exact case Michail Antonio finds himself in at West Ham.

Having started and played the full 90 minutes in the Irons’ 4-0 defeat away at Liverpool, the 28-year-old attacker was nowhere to be seen as the Hammers welcomed Bournemouth to the London Stadium on Saturday, missing out on not only the starting XI but the substitute’s bench as well.

He was joined by Ryan Fredericks and Declan Rice as dropping out the squad having started at Anfield, and with the London Evening Standard reporting that there are no injury worries in place, it leaves the trio fighting a battle to return to the first team.

While the defensive duo have age and potential on their side, Antonio is – or should that be was – an established member of the senior squad and his axing shows that he is firmly in the last chance saloon in east London, having been linked with a move away this summer.

The winger now has a host more competition to battle it out with after Pellegrini’s busy transfer window and if he has fallen down the pecking order, there is every chance he could be on his way out the door before the European markets shut at the end of August.

With a game against Arsenal and a League Cup tie against Wimbledon before September comes around, this really is his final opportunity to save his career at the club, with either a loan or permanent exit on the cards, or perhaps simply being exiled from the first team until January.

It is not looking good for Antonio, but he has a brief amount of time to save himself – it is up to him to determine his fate.

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