Michail Antonio, who was heavily criticised for his part in Crystal Palace’s late equaliser against West Ham last weekend, has been ruled out of his team’s Premier League clash against Liverpool this Saturday.
Antonio, who has endured a stop/start season so far after recovering from a summer operation to repair a torn hamstring, has suffered a recurrence of a rib injury sustained during West Ham’s 3-0 recent home defeat by Brighton.
Antonio’s pace and power will be missed by Slaven Bilic, even though the West Ham manager had criticised his England star following the Palace match, saying that it was a mistake which “should not happen at this level.”
Bilic, who remains under pressure after failing to beat the Premier League’s bottom club Palace, will also be forced into making changes to his defence for Saturday’s home match against Liverpool.
Right back Pablo Zabaleta is suspended after picking up his fifth booking while both central defender Jose Fonte and left back Aaron Cresswell were injured at Selhurst Park.
Of the pair, Cresswell has the better chance of recovering in time while New Zealand international Winston Reid, who missed the match with a calf strain, could return.
In Pictures | West Ham's Michail Antonio
Experienced defender James Collins though, who has announced his retirement from international football with Wales, is still not ready to return following an ankle problem.
West Ham’s in-form 20-year-old Spanish striker Toni Martinez meanwhile, is unlikely to be included in Bilic’s squad for the Liverpool match. The former Valencia front man, who joined the East London club for a £2.4 million fee in April 2016, scored twice as West Ham’s Under-21 side beat Bristol Rovers 3-1 on Monday night to qualify for the knockout stages of the Checkatrade Trophy.
