The Athletic reporter Roshane Thomas has recently discussed a possible West Ham United injury issue regarding Michail Antonio.
On Saturday, the Hammers played their latest pre-season clash and defeated Championship side Brentford 2-1 at the London Stadium (per Evening Standard).
Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and midfielder Tomas Soucek were enough to see the Bees off and make it three wins from three matches in pre-season for the Irons.
However, in the latest episode of The Athletic’s U Irons podcast, Thomas revealed that Antonio picked up a knock and may be an injury concern.
He said: “Well, there’s one thing I forgot to mention. [In] the game against Brentford, Antonio limped off with what appeared to be a hip injury – he limped off.
“So, hopefully, it’s not a serious injury and he’ll be fine for the Newcastle game.
“[There] is an element of caution because we know what it’s like with Antonio and his injury problems, so hopefully, nothing too serious.”
TIF Thoughts…
As can be seen in what the journalist had to say, it seems that the English attacker may have picked up a knock to his hip during the clash with the Bees.
Would you start Michail Antonio in the first game of the season if he's fit?
Yes, he's a good player
No, he's not good enough
As mentioned by Thomas, Antonio has been no stranger to injuries during his time with the Irons as he has been sidelined for extended periods on several occasions (per Transfermarkt).
With the 30-year-old forward having been in stellar form towards the end of the 2019/20 season, it seems likely that he will be missed by David Moyes should he be absent for the start of the new term.
Antonio bagged a hugely impressive tally of eight goals and one assist in the final seven games of the Premier League season in the most recent term (per Transfermarkt).
The £8.55m-rated man’s emphatic run saw him finish the season with a 7.29/10 average rating, which made him the Hammers’ best-rated player in the league (per WhoScored).
So, as Thomas stated, hopefully, the issue with Antonio’s hip is nothing serious.