Carlos Corberan wants to nurture more than just skill with West Brom loanee Jeremy Sarmiento

The Brighton whizz-kid, 21, has showed a big physical development in recent weeks and started the last five games for Albion.

That is huge strides for a loan player with a chequered injury record who broke down shortly after a belated first Baggies start.

The Ecuador international was sidelined for all of October and returned as an impact player from the bench in November, with Albion fans still waiting to see more than flashes of the talent that makes Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi rate the winger so highly.

But, probably aided by injuries elsewhere in Corberan’s attacking armoury, the penny has dropped for Sarmiento who since scoring the winner at Cardiff on November 28 on his recall to the side has started all five games.

That’s a nod to more consistent performance levels but more tellingly an improvement in his fitness and robustness. It is clear to see Sarmiento is a talent, there can’t be many more technically-gifted footballers in the Championship, and now what he is learning with Corberan and Albion is every other part of the game.

“It’s progress and it’s a risk,” Corberan summarised of the winger’s recent run of starts. “The normal situation is that I should not have played him at Rotherham (fourth of five games) – in terms of the risk. In terms of fatigue.

“But at the same time, I have to play with him. It’s a risk but it’s my job. Footballers adapt to the game – and the position that you want.

“One thing that was important for him was to add minutes, the second important thing is for him to perform. We brought him here to develop him as a player but to receive all his talent and we are in this a process.”

Sarmiento, who joined Brighton two years ago from Benfica, penned a new five-year deal with his parent club before switching to The Hawthorns for 2023/24.

Madrid-born Sarmiento moved to London aged seven and grew up playing football in cages south of the capital, where a certain physical level is required but, more tellingly, a fleet-footedness.

The former Charlton youngster loves a stepover. His balance and technique are off the charts, akin to a Futsal player, where skill is most important. He was typified on Sunday against Stoke, with Albion 1-0 down, Sarmiento controlled a high pass with his backheel, for no reason other than instinct. A number of stepovers later and the Potters crowded him out.

Some fans will cry “not now”. Some marvel at raw ability.

But that’s not everything. He has scored two nice goals already in this loan spell, both important, both well-taken. Moments after that incident against Stoke, he was only denied a stunner from distance by keeper Jack Bonham.

Corberan, though, loves Sarmiento’s heart: “Yes, yes, for me, that’s his profile. He’s a player who can beat players in a one-v-one.

“He’s going to see that this is not the only thing he can do in a game. There are other things that you have to manage. Sometimes you need to dribble, pass in one touch.

“What I see in him is something different. I see a passion. And I love the passion because you can manage the passion. When there’s a lack of something, it’s difficult to add it.

“When there is an excess of something, it’s easier to fix. Sometimes, he needs to play one touch, others to receive, move and pass.

“One hundred per cent (he can get fans off their seats). One of the reasons he’s here is to dribble and take players on. If he can beat a player, then you have a chance.”