West Ham striker Michail Antonio has undergone surgery for a lower limb fracture sustained in a car crash on Saturday, the club has confirmed.
In a statement, the Hammers revealed that Antonio will remain under observation in the hospital for the next few days and expressed their “heartfelt gratitude” to the emergency services and first responders who attended to him.
The 34-year-old Jamaica international was rescued from his vehicle following the accident in Epping and subsequently transported to a central London hospital.
As of Saturday evening, West Ham reported that Antonio was in stable condition, “conscious and communicating.”
Antonio holds the record as West Ham’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, with 68 goals in 268 league appearances.
“Everyone at the club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news,” the West Ham statement continued.
“The club will provide further updates when appropriate.”
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended the scene of the accident on Saturday after receiving calls at 13:02 GMT and had released a man trapped in his car by 13:45.
The extent of Antonio’s injuries were not revealed at that time.
Essex Police later said officers were investigating a serious crash involving a Ferrari and asked for witnesses to come forward, as well as those with dashcam footage of the incident.
Messages of support for Antonio have flooded in with the Premier League and leading clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all responding to a Hammers’ statement on X.
Former clubs Southampton, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, and Colchester shared messages of support for Michail Antonio on social media, wishing him a speedy recovery. BBC presenter Gary Lineker also extended his best wishes during Saturday’s edition of Match of the Day.
Jamaica manager Steve McLaren conveyed a heartfelt message on behalf of Antonio’s international teammates, saying, “On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff, and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time.”
Antonio has featured in all 14 of West Ham’s Premier League matches this season, scoring his lone goal in their 4-1 victory over Ipswich on October 5.
While the timeline for his recovery remains uncertain, West Ham will press on as they prepare to host Wolves on Monday at 20:00 GMT.