West Brom midfielder ruled out of clash v Newcastle
West Brom midfielder Sam Field will miss the Baggies’ trip to St James’ Park to play Newcastle United on Saturday.
The 22-year-old has been limited to just three appearances in the Premier League this season (via WhoScored) and although he is now back in training, the trip to the North-East has come too soon.
Express & Star journalist Joseph Masi attended Slaven Bilic’s pre-match press conference on Thursday and relayed what the Baggies manager said about academy product Field.
“Slaven Bilic has just held his pre-Newcastle presser,” Masi wrote on Twitter.
“He has no concerns about playing and expects the game to go ahead. Jake Livermore is fit after training all week. But the game has come too soon for Sam Field who returned to training for the first time today.”
Limited options
Field has been limited to just 62 minutes in the Premier League this season and has not featured since early October.
Having spent last season on loan at Charlton Athletic, it did not appear that he was in the plans of Bilic, with Filip Krovinovic, Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers and Conor Gallagher all seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.
However, a combination of COVID-19 restrictions and issues with form have seen the Baggies short in midfield on a few occasions and there would have potentially been some opportunities for him to play. Unfortunately, that possibility was taken away by injury, although there could be more chances for him as the season wears on.
The academy graduate made 17 appearances for Charlton in the Championship last season, starting 10 times and impressing with his passing and defensive ability. Per 90 minutes, he completed 35.4 passes at 81.7% accuracy, while he completed 1.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game (via WhoScored).
Going forward, he is definitely an option to be aware of, with Field, alongside Rekeem Harper, the future of the Baggies’ midfield.
In other West Brom news, are the Baggies about to make a big mistake over Bilic?
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