West Ham United striker  did not travel with the team for their Europa League match against Freiburg on Thursday, David Moyes has confirmed.

West Ham, buoyed by their weekend Premier League win over Sheffield United, travel to Germany to face Freiburg, both looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Europa League group stage.

The Hammers boss, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday night (October 4) before the match, also revealed that defender Ben Johnson will also miss the match due to a minor injury.

Moyes said:

“Michael Antonio did not travel. He’s injured. Aaron Cresswell is still out and Ben Johnson is also slightly injured.

West Ham United fans may be watching Moyes’ updates with trepidation, but given Antonio’s recent injury history and his current ability to play a large number of games, there is hope. Hopefully he will stay in the UK to keep him fresh for Sunday’s crucial match. . against Newcastle United.

The Jamaica international is vital to Moyes and his West Ham side. The pace and aggression with which he played meant he was unable to feature in two matches in three days, so it was a smart move from the Hammers boss.

Freiburg is certainly a tough place to be, as Germany’s top teams have found out and while Antonio could be useful, Moyes still has some quality options and Danny Ings must prove his worth against the recent difficulties.

Johnson has barely played this season, but this new injury is a blow as he is also trying to prove himself to Moyes.

Academy product Rush Green could be facing his final months in a West Ham United shirt, as when he can return after that is extremely uncertain.

In other West Ham  a senior man has reacted poorly to the manager’s decision and is now set to leave the club in the near future.