Michail Antonio returned to the London Stadium this month after his serious car crash. (Image: Getty)
The severity of the car accident suffered by forward Michail Antonio has been underlined by a disturbing photo. On December 7, the 34-year-old and needed emergency surgery. It later emerged that he had broken his femur in four different places. A harrowing picture has now emerged of the wreckage. Another new image has also been shared of Antonio lying in a hospital gown. The Jamaican international also has a bandage above his right eye.
Antonio’s injuries are expected to keep him out of football until the end of the year. However, he’s now admitted that the hardest part of his ordeal was his oldest child finding out about the accident and his condition. “The most difficult part is that I almost wasn’t there for my children,” he told the . “During this, we kept it away from the kids. My eldest saw it, and he struggled with it. He’s 13, and obviously, people were showing photos of the car.
“So he came down and saw me in the hospital. But the younger ones, they never really knew how bad the situation was. We kind of avoided letting them get on the internet.”
Antonio also revealed how his keyhole surgery involved a metal pole being inserted into his thigh with four bolts. Only now is he able to walk again on two feet, but is reluctant to put a timescale on his lay-off.
Antonio is not expected to play again in 2025. (Image: Getty)
“My first surgeon said he didn’t want me to put any weight on my leg xfor three months, which is around about now,” he continued. “We got a second specialist who said I needed to start putting weight on it, increasing from 10 per cent up to 100 per cent within three weeks.
“But I kept my crutches for a further two weeks. Overall, they say it will be between six to 12 months before my leg starts healing properly.”