West Brom boss Steve Bruce unsure when Okay Yokuslu will be match ready
West Brom manager Steve Bruce has said he is still unsure when new signing Okay Yokuslu will be ready for action due to his recent lack of football.
The Turkish international became an Albion player for the second time on Monday morning (18 July) after terminating his contract with Celta Vigo.
He still needs a visa to arrive in England and begin work with Albion, and Steve Bruce told the Birmingham Mail on Thursday evening (21 July) that he does not know when Yokuslu will be ready to play.
“It’s an exciting signing for us because he played very well for us when he was here. We’re going to have to see where he is fitness-wise,” he said.
“When you miss pre-season, I always think it’s difficult to play catch up, but I believe he is a wonderful pro and a good athlete and will do everything he can to be right.”
Will have to wait
Yokuslu is obviously a very talented player and should do well for Albion, but he is not an immediate solution to Albion’s midfield woes.
They are short in midfield, with Alex Mowatt needing to go at a slower pace this summer as he recovers from groin surgery back in April.
Yokuslu has not suffered an injury, but he has played very little football since his loan spell at Albion ended a year ago.
Across his spells with Celta Vigo and Getafe last season, he played just 505 minutes of La Liga football (FBRef) and has missed out on any sort of pre-season training.
Once his visa clears and he arrives at Albion he will need to undergo a rigorous training regime in order to rebuild his fitness.
Even after that, he will need to spend time playing for the Under-23s side and making substitute appearances to get match fit.
While he is a good signing for Albion, it will be some time before he is back at his best.
In other West Brom news, Caleb Taylor could leave the club on loan.