David Moyes has questioned Michail Antonio’s availability for West Ham’s match against Newcastle United on Sunday (8 October).
The Hammers boss stated (through Malik Ouzia) during his pre-match news conference ahead of the Europa League match against Freiburg on Thursday (5 October) that the Jamaican international has not traveled to Germany for the Europa League fixture.
He also stated that he is doubtful whether the 33-year-old forward would be available when the Irons face Newcastle at the London Stadium on Saturday.
A blow
Due of Antonio’s importance to the team, his absence from the game against Freiburg is a significant setback for West Ham.
Although he would have started on the bench behind Danny Ings, Moyes would have preferred to have the Jamaican on the bench given his fellow striker has struggled to find any meaningful form since coming at the London Stadium in January.
It means that the former England international will have to prove himself, with 18-year-old Divin Mubama fighting for greater playing time.
After a solid start to the season, the Irons boss will be more anxious about Antonio’s availability for the game against Newcastle.
The forward is critical to the way we set up, and with no viable backup waiting in the wings, we need him to get healthy before the weekend fixture.
Leave a Reply