Despite some concerns that Michail Antonio’s career could be over, West Ham manager, Julien Lopetegui, says he is confident the Reggae Boyz striker will make a full recovery and return to playing in the coming months.

Antonio, who made 15 appearances for the English Premier League club this season, is currently recuperating in hospital in London after a horrific car accident on December 7. The 34-year-old had to be released from his car after being trapped for close to an hour and was rushed to hospital where he was confirmed to be in stable condition.

He then underwent surgery on a lower limb fracture, which is believed to rule him out of action for at least 12 months. His release date from the hospital is still unknown.

Some medical professionals have cast doubt on his chances to play again but Lopetegui has dismissed it and is relieved to know of Antonio’s improving status.

“The most important thing is that he’s alive, he’s good. He broke his femur, but he’s going to recover for sure. He’s going to need time. It’s about time. Now it’s about time, but the good news is that he has time because when you see the car was terrible, the accident, that’s why we are happy,” he said.

While not offering a time frame for Antonio’s return, Lopetegui says he’s eager to see him back training with the squad.

“Despite the fact we are unhappy because we lost one very important player for us, we are happy because he’s going to be ready. Now he’s strong, he’s recovered himself in the next months for sure and he’s going to be ready to be a player. The first thing is to be a man and then to be a player,” he said.

West Ham’s squad visited Antonio in hospital on the weekend and paid tribute to him in their 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers by wearing “Antonio 9” shirts during their warm-up.

It’s also believed that the club will make a decision on extending Antonio’s contract, which expires in the summer, before the end of the English Premier League season. Antonio is the second longest serving player at the club, with 323 appearances since 2015.

He’s West Ham’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, with 68 goals and led them to the UEFA Conference League title in 2023.

Antonio is certain to miss the Reggae Boyz’ two remaining games in the second round of World Cup qualifying next June against British Virgin Islands and Guatemala as well as the final round of qualifying set for September 2025, with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz currently occupying one of the two automatic spots.

He’ll also certain to 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. His last appearance was in a goalless draw against Honduras in October at the National Stadium in the team’s final Concacaf Nations League A group game. He missed the team’s Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals against the USA last month due to suspension and a lost passport.

Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren and Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts wished a speedy recovery to Antonio earlier this month.