Bilic confirms rarely-seen West Brom 21-year-old could feature v West Ham
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that rarely-seen West Brom midfielder Chris Willock is in line to feature against West Ham in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
The 21-year-old has had to primarily settle for game time with the under-23s, despite only being on loan at the Hawthorns from Benfica.
Willock was an unused substitute in the third-round victory over Charlton and has yet to feature for the first-team.
Bilic confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Willock will most likely feature, unless of any last-minute changes in the build-up.
“We have a training session today (Friday) but I think he will (feature vs West Ham),” he told the Birmingham Mail.
The Croatian went onto admit that he is trying to keep the youngster happy in the Midlands despite a clear lack of minutes being available to him.
“Do we need the player or not? Can we replace him if he goes? We are trying to please the player because nobody likes to have a player that is not very happy in your team, in your squad, at the training ground.”
With Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana both missing for the next three games, there are spaces available in midfield.
Willock has impressed with the under-23s, scoring six goals in 11 games. That form is deserving of a first-team chance, and that could come against West Ham on Saturday.
Fresh legs are vital in the Championship, and should Willock impress at the London Stadium, he could be a real asset in the second half of the season.
In other West Brom news, Michael Owen predicts winner of FA Cup clash v West Ham