A West Ham United insider with close links to the club’s owners has delivered a grim injury update.
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Last night The Daily Mail reported that West Ham were fearing losing Antonio for much of what remains of the season.
With Declan Rice also out for at least a month it would be another major blow to West Ham’s Champions League hopes.
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West Ham managed to beat Wolves 3-2 without Rice last time out.
But Antonio looked sharp and had helped the Hammers into a 2-0 lead before he was forced off on 36 minutes.
Jarrod Bowen scored and played well as his replacement.
But West Ham simply do not function as well without Antonio up front – as has already been proved this season.
What Moyes is good at, though, is finding ways to win.
And he will have to do that once again.
Insider claims report is true and Antonio faces up to two months out with Grade 2 hamstring tear
That’s after West Ham insider Sean Whetstone claimed The Daily Mail’s report is true and Antonio has suffered a Grade 2 two hamstring tear.
Timeframes for rehabilitation and return to sport vary depending on the nature and severity of the strain when it comes to hamstrings.
As a general rule, Grade 1 hamstring strains should be rested from sporting activity for about three weeks and Grade 2 injuries for a minimum of four to eight weeks.
Given Antonio’s terrible hamstring injury history – this is his fourth of the season – it is unlikely West Ham will be rushing him back.
“No real surprise but the scan revealed that Michail Antonio has a badly torn hamstring,” Claret and Hugh associate editor Whetstone said on Twitter.
“And with partial tears taking between four to eight weeks to heal or at worst up to three months.
“Moyes is likely to cover this at his Leicester City pre-match press conference at 1.30pm today.
“Grade 2 I believe.”
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Once again the negligence of West Ham failing to sign a back-up striker in January rears its ugly head.
West Ham wanted a striker last summer. That was BEFORE selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January.
David Moyes wanted to wait to sign the right player, though, and elected to wait until the summer window.
It could prove a costly mistake. But Bowen has played as a striker in his career and West Ham could also operate with Lingard the focal point of a false nine.
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