West Ham United may receive boost for Brighton clash as Michail Antonio teases return
West Ham United have been one of the form teams over the festive period in the Premier League, picking up plenty of important results to boost their hopes of European football.
However, just as things appear to be looking up at the London Stadium, the Hammers are facing a new blow as Mohammed Kudus is set to miss the majority of January and possibly a chunk of February as he joins up with the Ghana squad for the African Cup of Nations.
That blow is coming slightly sooner than initially expected as well, with reports suggesting that Chris Hughton has asked for the winger to be left out of the Irons’ clash with Brighton to avoid any new injury problems [Claret & Hugh, 30 December].
But David Moyes may have received a boost ahead of the Premier League clash with the Seagulls after Michail Antonio hinted that he is nearing the end of his recovery having been ruled out with injury for the entirety of December.
The Jamaica international posted on his Twitter account on Sunday (31 December) saying: “Getting close to the comeback. Got me on the Captain America programme. Beast Mode 2.0 loading for the start of 2024…. COYI.”
While the striker has not directly said that he is available for the clash with Brighton, his comment hinting at a return at the start of 2024 may suggest he could be included in the West Ham match-day squad for the first game of the new year.
Antonio may not be a direct replacement for Kudus, but should the 33-year-old return it would allow Moyes to reshuffle his forward options to ensure that the Ghana international’s presence isn’t missed too severely.
Jarrod Bowen would be able to return to his preferred role on the right flank in Kudus’ absence and Antonio could lead the line with James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paqueta just behind him directly in support.
In the Hammers’ win over Brighton earlier this season, the Jamaica international played a crucial role in picking up all three points as he held the ball up excellently to ensure the Irons utilised their limited possession effectively.
Antonio hasn’t scored a goal since that game all the way backing August, but Tuesday night’s showdown may be the perfect chance for him to return to the form that made him so effective at the start of the season.
Even if he can only make the bench, it would be a huge boost to the Hammers and Moyes if they had another forward option at their disposal.
In other West Ham news, Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Thilo Kehrer could complete his Hammers exit “very soon”