West Ham United’s Michail Antonio has expressed confidence in teammate Mohammed Kudus’ resilience and skill as the midfielder prepares to return after an extended suspension. Kudus was red-carded in a Premier League clash against Tottenham on October 19, leading to a three-game ban that was later extended to five games by the English FA, alongside a £60,000 fine.

The suspension has kept Kudus out of West Ham’s games against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Everton, and will see him miss upcoming fixtures against Newcastle United on November 25 and Arsenal on November 30. Despite this, Antonio remains hopeful about Kudus’ return, saying, “He’s an unbelievable player with incredible dribbling, scoring ability, and ambition. He’s a great miss and definitely someone we need in our lineup.”

While sidelined, Kudus has been training with Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, as they gear up for their final two qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana is set to face Angola in Luanda on November 15 and then close out qualifiers against Niger at Accra Sports Stadium on November 18.