Daryl Dike to get West Brom chance ahead of Brandon Thomas-Asante
Daryl Dike will get a chance to lead the line for West Brom in the Championship after the World Cup winter break, according to The Athletic’s Elias Burke.
The Baggies sealed a hat-trick of wins following their 2-0 victory over Stoke City at the weekend, with Corberan able to introduce Dyke from the bench after his return from a thigh injury.
In Dike’s absence, Brandon Thomas-Asante has led the line for Carlos Corberan’s side and scored a spectacular goal the weekend, leaving the new manager with a healthy problem to ponder over.
According to journalist Elias Burke, Dike will be given the nod ahead of Thomas-Asante but the latter will be chomping at the bit for some game time upon resumption after the World Cup.
He wrote: “It is natural to assume Dike will be given time at the tip of the attack, given the significant £7million ($8.2m) outlay for his services.
“Still, a display like that against a team capable of beating any side in the second tier highlights Thomas-Asante’s value to this side.
“With no international responsibilities, he can now enjoy a short break with his partner and young son before returning to fight for his place in the front three.
“A goal like that, which will be replayed by the Albion faithful throughout the break for the World Cup, is enough to ensure the hype surrounding Dike will not dim Thomas-Asante’s shine.”
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For Carlos Corberan, the return of Dike paired with Thomas-Asante’s recent heroics has left the Baggies boss in a brilliant position to hit the ground running after the World Cup.
Having risen out of the relegation zone and now sitting just six points off the top half, life in the West Midlands is suddenly looking far brighter than a few weeks ago under the management of Steve Bruce.
Dike will relish the competition with Thomas-Asante and if played together could form a fearsome strike partnership that defences across the Championship would fear.
Although seemingly miles away, a playoff spot for Corberan isn’t out of the equation this season, and he can take Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest side as inspiration as they beat all the odds on their return to the Premier League.
With Milwall currently occupying the last playoff spot with 31 points, West Brom only find themselves eight points of The Lions in a remarkably close Championship table.
In other news, Lepkowski gushes over ‘Phenomenal’ West Brom ace after Stoke footage emerges.