West Ham set to hand a first start to Michail Antonio with FIVE key attacking players injured for the visit of Stoke

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Michail Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest this summer
But the attacker has been restricted to three substitute appearances
With several attacking men injured, Antonio could start against Stoke

Published: 17:30 EST, 11 December 2015 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 11 December 2015

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Slaven Bilic is set to finally hand a start the Michail Antonio — the man even his own chairman forgot.

West Ham chief David Gold was caught out by a supporter last month when he retweeted a photo of a ‘missing Hammers fan’, who was in fact the man Gold had shelled out £7million on from Nottingham Forest.

Antonio is now set to return from the wilderness against Stoke with five of Bilic’s key attacking threats on the treatment table and the Hammers searching for their first win in six games.

Michail Antonio is set to start for West Ham against Stoke on Saturday with the Hammers plagued by injuries

Antonio (centre) could make his first start for West Ham since a £7million move from Nottingham Forest

Diafra Sakho is one of five injuries West Ham have in their attacking ranks, meaning Antonio will deputise

Diafra Sakho, Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses and Enner Valencia are all crocked, handing Antonio his first start for the club, having made just three appearances from the bench so far this season.

Bilic is expecting to start seeing a return on his investment but does not want another forward on his injury list and has warned Antonio not to try too hard to impress.

‘I’m expecting a lot but I don’t want him to burn out now if he wants to show in 15 or 90 minutes what he didn’t have a chance to do over two months,’ said the Hammers boss.

‘I have had a few talks with him since he came here. He didn’t have many chances. He played the last 20 minutes against Man City and I told him at that time that he has to wait for this chance.

Antonio has only made three substitute appearances since arrive at West Ham in the summer

West Ham boss Bilic hopes Antonio will avoid injury when he faces Stoke on Saturday

‘We didn’t buy him not to play. The problem for him and the good situation for me is that we had in-form players in those positions that were playing really good.

'To be fair to the lad he worked hard and I tried to motivate him through those couple of talks. His chance came now and the way he behaves and trains and played for Forest, I expect a lot from. It’s all about the squad and especially now.’