Mikey: Illness has left me ‘dead’

Mikey Antonio says that the illness he is currently dealing with has left him feeling “dead”.

The Hammers striker is a major doubt for the clash with Anderlecht.

Boss David Moyes revealed earlier this week that the striker has been struggling with a cold, but it sounds like Antonio has something much worse than just a cold.

The Jamaica international came off the bench against Fulham at the weekend to score the final goal in the 3-1 win.

But he has now revealed that he was battling his own body before being able to come on against the Cottagers, and is currently laid up in bed with his current illness.

Speaking on the BBC’s Footballer’s Football Podcast, as per TBR Football, Mikey said: “I’m dead mate. I’m dead. Don’t know what I’ve got but it’s killing me. Last two days I’ve not been out of bed. I was ill before the game. I woke up and felt drained, I had no energy. Before the game they gave me red bulls, gels, vitamin shots, all things to try and perk me up.

“When I was on the bench my neck and back started getting sore, you know when your body is starting to ache.

“Then I was warming up and my hamstring started getting tight, I’ve gone to run back in to tell the physio that I might not be able to go on because I don’t mess with my hamstrings, and as I’m running in the gaffer goes ‘Mike get ready, you’re going on’.

“So I crumbled, I did a couple of sprints to make sure I could run and after a couple I thought it felt alright.

“I went back on and nobody could tell I was ill but leaving the game I was shivering, eyes were shutting, and the last two days I’ve been in bits.”

It feels very likely, then, that Gianluca Scamacca is going to play against Anderlecht on Thursday evening, and he may have to lead the line again on Sunday, when the Irons play Southampton.