Michail Antonio faces agonizing 12-month wait to see if he can return to football after serious car accident
talkSPORT presenter Jim White revealed it will be “at least 12 months” before Michail Antonio knows if he can play football again.
He western ham The forward is stable after being involved in an accident. road accident on Saturday.
The Hammers have since confirmed Antonio. underwent surgery about a “lower limb fracture.”
White has since provided an update on Antonio's future regarding his potential return to the game.
“In a car accident at the weekend, I was told this morning that he remains in a stable condition in hospital and is receiving all the support from the NHS and West Ham medical staff,” White told talkSPORT.
“He has suffered serious damage to one of his legs and it is believed that the recovery will be long.
“It will be at least 12 months before it is known whether he will play football again or not.
“This morning I was told that Michail is a fighter and is in a strong physical position and that can help him and be a small advantage when it comes to his recovery.
“Everyone here at talkSPORT sends their best to Michail Antonio as he continues to recover from that car accident.”
Co-host Simon Jordan added that he felt Antonio was “lucky” to be alive given the worrying state of the vehicle involved.
“When I saw him he reminded me of Chris Coleman when he was at Fulham. I hope the same thing doesn't happen to Michail as Chris because he couldn't recover,” Jordan said.
“It is a terrible situation. He's out and alive, which is the most important thing, and we'll see where it goes for him.
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“If he can find his way back, he probably has that presence and sense of character to find his way back, but they will be difficult for him.”
Arsenal legend Martin Keown added: “I sincerely wish him the best. It looked really bad, didn't it? You feel like he's lucky to be alive.
“He has played for West Ham with distinction and spent almost 10 years at the club.
“He is 34 years old, but he is very fit and hopefully he will have the opportunity to return to the field.”
White said: “He's a lovely guy, Martin. “Whenever I go to a West Ham game, if I see him after the game, he is always there with a smile on his face and happy to help and he goes about his media obligations with a smile on his face.”
Antonio was involved in what police believed was “a single-vehicle collision” when he crashed his Ferrari in Essex, near the home of West Ham owner David Sullivan.
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The 34-year-old man was trapped inside his vehicle for almost an hour as emergency services worked tirelessly to free him before he was airlifted to a hospital in central London.
West Ham expressed their thoughts and prayers when the news broke, with several Premier League clubs doing the same.
Several of Antonio's teammates and rivals at other clubs also sent messages of support on social media.
Antonio has made more than 320 appearances for the Hammers since joining from Nottingham Forest in 2015.
The Jamaican international has also played for Reading and Sheffield Wednesday during his career.
The 34-year-old has recorded one goal and one assist in 15 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this season.
