Carlos Corberan on battle with medical staff over West Brom striker Daryl Dike and Pipa injury update
Boss Carlos Corberan admitted he is battling with Albion medics to introduce striker Daryl Dike back to action.
The United States international took part in some team training last Friday and while not involved against Middlesbrough or Norwich either side of Christmas, is pushing for a return from eight months out injured.
A ruptured Achilles injury was the third lengthy injury setback of Dike's disrupted two-year Hawthorns career and Corberan is keen to welcome back the frontman, though is working on the advice from his fitness staff, headed up by director of medical Tony Strudwick, who have stressed caution.
Albion welcome Leeds to The Hawthorns tomorrow evening as fifth hosts fourth in the Championship.
"Let's see tomorrow (with) the training," Corberan smiled in the wake of Albion's Boxing Day win over Norwich. "I will push my medical staff and they will push me back, 100 per cent!"
Dike has been sidelined since April with the injury after previously missing several months for hamstring and groin injuries. His presence would be a significant boost for the Baggies, who are out without Josh Maja (ankle) for much of the remainder of the campaign.
Corberan has previously said that if Dike doesn't feature against the Whites then the boss is hopeful his striker can play a part at Swansea on New Year's Day next week – failing that, then in the FA Cup against non-league Aldershot on Sunday week at the latest.
The Baggies were dealt another fitness blow elsewhere in the limp defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday with Spanish loan full-back Pipa, who had featured more prominently as a makeshift winger of late, pulling up injured.
He missed out as Albion beat Norwich on Tuesday.
Back pain is the result of an impact injury against Boro, rather than a muscle problem, and the Baggies are assessing his progress.
"Middlesbrough were better than us, there are no excuses," Corberan said. "But when I put Pipa in for the last 10 or 15 minutes, the first tackle they put in injured him.
"I asked him to do things and he was saying it was impossible for him to move. It really injured him and that's why he wasn't with the team here (against Norwich).
"Today he still has pain, so now we need to see how he reacts to the pain because it's not something that is a muscle injury. The kick was too aggressive and he cannot move his back."
