West Ham United have announced that Michail Antonio is stable, conscious and communicating in hospital after he was involved in a road traffic accident earlier on Saturday.
The Irons confirmed earlier this afternoon that the Jamaican striker had been involved in an incident, although neither they nor local authorities disclosed any further details.
A report from the Daily Mail included a picture of a totalled silver Ferrari in a woodland, supposedly showing the aftermath of Antonio's horror crash, but that has not been verified.
West Ham's statement was met with an outpouring of support from the footballing community, as several of the Irons' Premier League rivals sent their well-wishes to Antonio and his family.
Now, the Irons have released a reassuring update on X - formerly known as Twitter - saying that the 34-year-old is stable in hospital and they will not make another statement for the rest of the day.
"West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area," West Ham said in a social media statement.
Antonio under "close supervision" in hospital after car accident
© Imago
"Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital. At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family. The Club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course."
Antonio has made 15 appearances for Julen Lopetegui's side across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, including 11 starts in the Premier League, where he has scored one goal and set up one more.
The striker played 28 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, his 323rd appearance for the Irons in all competitions since joining from Nottingham Forest in 2015.
Antonio has amassed 83 goals and 41 assists for the Irons over the past nine years, winning one trophy in the form of the 2022-23 Conference League, prior to which he won the Championship title with Reading in the 2011-12 season.
The 34-year-old has also represented Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Colchester United and Cheltenham Town in his senior career, while netting five goals in 21 games for the Jamaica national team.
West Ham return to Premier League action against fellow relegation-threatened outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, where either Niclas Fullkrug or Danny Ings will start up front in Antonio's place.
Ben Knapton
