STRIKER Michail Antonio looks set to miss Jamaica’s World Cup football qualifying campaign next year, after undergoing surgery on a broken leg sustained in a horrific car crash on Saturday.

The 34-year-old, who plays for English Premier League club West Ham United, was rushed to hospital in London after being trapped for over 40 minutes in his damaged car following a “serious crash” in the Essex area, according to reports.

West Ham released a statement on Saturday to say he was in stable condition and was under close supervision.

On Sunday the club confirmed doctors performed surgery on a lower-limb fracture and that the player will continue to be monitored in hospital over the coming days.

Antonio, who has made 15 league appearances for West Ham this season, is set to be ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and undergo rehabilitation for the next 12 months, according to UK’s
Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg.

This means Antonio would miss Jamaica’s two remaining games, in the second round of World Cup qualifying next June, against British Virgin Islands and Guatemala. He would also miss the final round of qualifying set for September 2025, with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz currently occupying one of the two automatic spots.

He would also miss out on the Gold Cup preliminaries next March, and subsequently the Gold Cup set for June 14 to July 6 2025 in the USA and Canada.

Antonio has made 21 appearances for Jamaica, scoring five goals. He missed the team’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals against the USA last month due to suspension and a lost passport.

On Saturday, Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren and Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts wished a speedy recovery to Antonio.

West Ham are set to pay tribute to Antonio on Monday when they take on Wolves at London Stadium at 3:00 pm Jamaica time. The club said: “Everyone at the club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news, as well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery.”

Antonio is currently one of the club’s longest-serving players with 268 appearances in the last 10 years. He also helped the club win the UEFA Conference League in 2023.