West Bromwich Albion are set to be without one of their senior players for the next couple of months through injury, and an expert has detailed exactly when he believes he’ll be able to stage his comeback.
What's the latest injury news at West Brom?
With Daryl Dike having been out of action since last season with an achilles injury and not expected to return until at least December, Carlos Corberan’s latest blow came in the form of Josh Maja, who has torn some of his ankle ligaments, with the club anticipating that he will be back following the international break in November.
The Baggies boss, however, has been handed a boost over Erik Pieters, who is likely to be available for selection for Saturday’s game vs Preston after being forced off the pitch with muscle tightness during the latest 0-0 Championship draw against Millwall.
Another player currently on the sidelines is Adam Reach, who limped off the field during the 2-2 draw with Burton Albion in pre-season, and having sustained a quad injury, has recently undergone surgery to try and help rectify the problem as quickly as possible.
Despite this, the midfielder still won’t be able to get involved with the action again for a while, with a medical expert having shared the realistic timeframe that the 30-year-old could aim for as a return date.
How long is Adam Reach out for?
Speaking to West Brom News, injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar confirmed that Reach may noy be ready to join in with the first-team until December, whilst noting November as the month that he could start to build up his fitness at the training ground.
“His injury is a recurrence of a quadriceps injury that first occurred in April. It sounds like his return timeline is targeted for somewhere in December so mid to late November for light training could be a reasonable goal. Considering he had surgery recently, he’s likely taking it quite easy for the next coming days.“
How good is Adam Reach?
Whilst Reach was previously dubbed a “top-class pro” by West Brom’s former manager Steve Bruce for the professional manner that he carries himself in, he is yet to make a single appearance this season, albeit that’s not his fault, and it’s unlikely he would be able to stake his claim in the starting squad under Corberan upon his return.
England’s former youth international, who is naturally left-footed, only ranked as the club’s 24th overall best-performing player out of 31 squad members last season, via WhoScored, showing how little of an impact he was able to make when handed the opportunity to play, failing to prove to the boss what he's capable of.
Furthermore, Reach currently pockets £40k-per-week which makes him the highest earner at the Hawthorns, as per Capology, therefore, Midlands chiefs should get him off their books next year, especially with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, and use the spare cash to generate funds for new signings in the future.
