West Brom cannot afford any more injury issues says Carlos Corberan
Boss Carlos Corberan admits he has tapered training to ensure Albion’s attacking injury crisis does not worsen.
The Baggies are back in action against newly-promoted Plymouth Argyle at The Hawthorns today, but are hampered when it comes to firepower and supply.
Strikers Josh Maja and Daryl Dike are out injured – the former is due back next month – as are creators John Swift and Jeremy Sarmiento, with only the latter expected to return before the next international break in November.
Albion have been back in training this week after some time off during the break.
“The first three days after the last game are about recovery. After, the next three or four days we are here,” Corberan explained. “Then, on the weekend where we don’t have the game, we had the possibility to spend time with the families and after we come back with the training.
“In total we had some days (working), but it’s true that we need to be very careful in terms of how much training we put on them – especially in the situation we are in right now.
“We have lost three attacking options, and it means we have to manage every type of training with a lot of detail. We have to regenerate some players, who are playing a lot and are going to be very important in the next period of games.
“We know that from now until the next international break, maybe Sarmiento is close, but Swift and Maja will be back after the next international break.
“Only Sarmiento might have the option to be ready for the last game, or the last two. We need to be very focused on what our players need right now, especially in our attacking part of the team where we have lost three players.”
Striker Brandon Thomas-Asante and wingers Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana are likely to be involved against the 18th-placed Pilgrims today and Corberan has exciting youngster Tom Fellows to call on from the bench.
Winger Fellows was a livewire in pre-season and gave a bright cameo in the 3-1 defeat at Blues before the international break.
Matt Phillips is anther option to occupy a more recognised attacking role, though he has excelled this season almost exclusively in a more deeper wing-back role.
There is another place in Albion’s 20-man matchday squad up for grabs today as unavailability hits what is a modest squad size assembled by Corberan.
Academy players Fenton Heard, Akeel Higgins, Reece Hall, Josh Shaw, Kevin Mfuamba, Harry Whitwell and Reyes Cleary all trained with the first team this week as the head coach boosts his numbers.
Summer signing Maja has been injured since the stalemate at Bristol City last month and is not expected back until another month’s time, following the next international break.
That is the same for six-goal top scorer Swift, injured last time out against Blues, but the attacking midfielder may only be sidelined for five Albion games due to two fortnight breaks owing to international action.
