Blackpool v West Brom - Match preview
Karlan Grant has not started a league game for five-and-a-half months but could have the chance to prove his worth this evening.
The Albion forward last held down a Championship starting role when his side previously did battle with Blackpool, on November 1, the first victory of Carlos Corberan’s reign.
The 25-year-old has had a torrid time since. Grant had four goals, three in the league, by the end of August. But August 30 – Wigan away – was last season’s 18-goal top scorer’s last league goal.
He was set to leave on loan for Swansea on deadline day in January, but Albion’s pursuit of Chelsea youngster Omari Hutchinson broke down, so Grant was not allowed to leave. Corberan, meanwhile, has continued to talk up Grant, but chances on the pitch have been cameos at best amid a series of niggles and illness.
Grant, though, began in his bid to change the narrative on Saturday and could continue to do so at the seaside this evening.
He replaced the injured Daryl Dike deep into lengthy first-half stoppage time at Stoke on Saturday and produced one of if not his best performances of the season. Grant, out to the left with Brandon Thomas-Asante central, was sharp, direct and purposeful with the ball.
The former Charlton and Huddersfield frontman headed against the crossbar in the build-up to Jayson Molumby’s winner and went close with a fierce strike from distance with a busy display.
He won praise from Corberan, who said of Grant taking a chance to kickstart his season at the final hurdle: “Yes of course, normally he could be a starting player, if I have to tell you the answer now.
“I saw the team play very well with him in the left and I saw the character and quality that he has on the pitch. We will analyse it but of course he is one of the possibilities we can have, to play with him.”
More horrible misfortune for Dike with an Achilles injury that will almost certainly end his season does open the door for Grant.
It forces Thomas-Asante, top scorer with eight, away from the left channel and into the striker role. Grant’s competition for the left wing berth is Marc Albrighton, whose loan spell since January has been underwhelming. The Leicester wideman has not got going.
A win at the second-bottom Tangerines this evening could, dependent on Sunderland’s home clash with in-form Huddersfield, lift Corberan’s side into the top six – for 24 hours at least before another big night of action featuring rivals tomorrow.
“I want to see the team going in with the highest level of commitment to the game, determination and character to face any type of situation that can happen in the game,” Corberan said of Albion repeating their second-half Stoke improvement this evening.
“Because you don’t know how much difficulty you are going to face, but you can decide the attitude that you put in front of this.”
