Joe Ellis

Mon 25 April 2022 19:10, UK

West Brom have virtually nothing to play for in their final two Championship games and that should be a blessing for Steve Bruce.

The Albion boss, who arrived in early February after Valerien Ismael was sent packing, will still be at the helm next season and so he needs to use these games to experiment with his system and players.

He has already abandoned Sam Johnstone as his number one goalkeeper with the England international set to leave The Hawthorn at the end of this season but he can still do more.

There are some very talented young players in the Baggies’ academy who are itching to be given a chance to shine and with games against two sides who have their fate sealed already, now is the moment.

Reyes Cleary will be the immediate thought for the majority of West Brom fans with perhaps Layton Love another who could earn a debut but there is another young man who needs to be unleashed onto the Championship stage.

Quevin Castro has already made his Albion debut in the 6-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal earlier this season but he hasn’t featured since and it’s a bit baffling, to be honest.

Firstly, he is six-foot, four inches tall and for a central midfielder, that is a scary proposition for any opponent.

With his ability to motor up and down the pitch both with and without the ball, he can often cover the ground of two men all by himself and he is rarely dispossessed due to his enormous size and power.

That is the dream midfield colonel to have in the side when you have the technically-brilliant Taylor Gardner-Hickman to play alongside him.

Neither Barnsley nor Reading will fancy playing against the Portuguese-born man, signed from Bury Town in 2021, and with good reason too. Time to release the shackles, Bruce.

In other West Brom news, the Baggies are set to take on these non-league champions in a pre-season friendly in July.

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