West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh confirmed their understanding that Michail Antonio has been back in training this week ahead of Monday night’s clash with Aston Villa.
Antonio has been absent since hobbling off against Manchester City five weeks ago with a hamstring problem – a game in which the 30-year-old scored the opening goal.
In his absence, Sebastien Haller has taken over the mantle with mixed results, grabbing the winner in the Hammers’ last outing following two indifferent performances beforehand.
David Moyes may well be tempted to include his key striker from the start, but given his layoff, the manager may be resigned to using him from the bench. Despite his recent absence, Antonio remains the Irons’ top scorer in the Premier League this season.
Furthermore, Claret and Hugh reported that Moyes’ charges are injury-free for Monday night’s encounter at London Stadium, a rarity across the Premier League this term.
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As the campaign approaches its most hectic period, Moyes will need all of his most important squad members fit and firing.
Few players are more pivotal to the Hammers than Antonio – despite successive 1-0 victories in his absence, the striker offers unrelenting energy to the team which Haller cannot match.
Haller will likely start against Villa and perhaps rightly so after his winning contribution against Sheffield United. However, the Ivorian will need a big performance with Antonio set to return.
Having made their best start to a league campaign for five seasons, the upcoming Christmas schedule is crucial for Moyes’ men as they look to cement their place in the top half of the Premier League.
